Canucks 5, Sabres 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Right winger Radim Vrbata scored three goals as the Vancouver Canucks used a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres Monday night to snap a five-game NHL losing streak.
Center Henrik Sedin, on the power play, and left winger Brandon Prust, with his first goal as a Canuck, also scored for Vancouver (10-11-8). Left winger Daniel Sedin had two assists.
Right wingers Brian Gionta and Sam Reinhart scored for Buffalo. The Sabres (11-14-3) are (1-2-1) in their last four games.
Vrbata completed his hat trick at 14:28 of the third period. He took a pass from right winger Adam Cracknell and beat Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark with a low shot on the blocker side.
It was Vrbata’s sixth career hat trick but his first as a Canuck. His last three-goal game on Oct. 3, 2013, against the New York Rangers when he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes.
A 31-goal scorer last year, Vrbata had just three goals in the first 19 games this year. He now has six in his last eight games.
Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller, a former Sabre, stopped 32 shots. Ullmark made 26 stops.
Reinhart made it 4-2 with 1:51 gone in the third. Center Ryan O’Reilly, on his knees at the side of the Canucks net, found Reinhart in the slot. He beat Miller with a high shot over his blocker.
The Canucks scored twice in the second period to increase their lead to 4-1 heading into the third.
Prust, who came to Vancouver from Montreal in a trade over the summer, made it 3-1 at 4:34 of the second. Right winger Derek Dorsett set up the goal by pivoting behind the Buffalo net, then passing out front to Prust. He scored his first goal in 50 games.
Henrik Sedin made it 4-1 during a four-on-three power play at 17:18. Defenseman Alex Edler took a shot from the faceoff circle that Henrik Sedin deflected through Ullmark’s five-hole.
The Sabres notched the game’s first goal but Vrbata scored twice to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Gionta gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 6:48 of the first after Canucks defenseman Matt Bartkowski turned the puck over at the blue line. Left winger Jamie McGinn centered a pass that Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton chipped into the air. Gionta swatted the puck out of the air and behind Miller.
The assist extended McGinn’s point streak to a career-high six games.
Vrbata tied the game 80 seconds later. Left winger Chris Higgins attempted a backhand that Ullmark stopped. The rebound went to Vrbata who scored into an empty net at 8:08.
The Canucks took the lead at 16:42 when Vrbata deflected a point shot from defenseman Dan Hamhuis past Ullmark.
NOTES: LW Sven Baertschi, a healthy scratch in two of the previous four games, returned to the Canucks' lineup, as did D Alex Biega. ... LW Ronalds Kenins and D Yannick Weber were Vancouver's healthy scratches. ... Canucks LW Brandon Prust was fined $5,000 for spearing Boston LW Brad Marchand in the third period of a 4-0 loss Saturday. .... The Canucks have had three losing streaks of three or more games this year. ...Vancouver's four-game homestand ends Wednesday against the New York Rangers. ... D Mike Weber, who missed 13 games with a knee injury, returned to the Buffalo lineup. ... Sabres C Zemgus Girgensons played despite needing 12 stitches after being hit in the face by a puck in the third period Sunday during a 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. ... C Cal O'Reilly and D Jake McCabe were healthy scratches for Buffalo. ... The Sabres' three-game road trip ends Thursday in Calgary.