Hansen scores 100th goal as Canucks edge Sabres
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jannik Hansen scored his 100th NHL goal as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Thursday to tie a franchise record for the best start to a season.
Daniel Sedin, on a power play, also scored for the Canucks, who are 4-0-0 and the NHL's only remaining unbeaten team. The last time Vancouver started a season 4-0-0 was 1992.
Rookie Nicholas Baptiste scored for the Sabres (1-2-1).
Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who was making his third consecutive start, made 26 saves.
Goalie Robin Lehner, making his fourth straight start for the Sabres, stopped 18 shots.
The Sabres have lost their last four games in Vancouver and are 1-9-1 in their last 10.
Sedin gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead at 9:10 of the third period with Buffalo's Dmitry Kulikov off for interference.
Lehner stopped a Loui Eriksson shot but the rebound went to Sedin at the side of the net. He scored on a seeing-eye shot through a crowd. It was Vancouver's first power-play goal of the season after starting the year 0-for-12.
The Sabres cut the lead to 2-1 at 11:23 of the third period. The goal came during a scramble in front of the Canucks' net. Deslauriers was credited with the goal after it appeared Canuck defenseman Alex Edler kicked the puck into his own net.
Hansen gave the Canucks their first lead of the season at 11:10 of the second period.
The play started when the Baptiste committed a turnover in the neutral zone. Brandon Suter picked up the puck, skated into the Buffalo zone, and took a shot from just above the faceoff circle. Lehner made the stop but the puck fell at his feet, where Hansen tapped it into the net.
That came after Vancouver had played 218 minutes, 22 seconds this season without a lead.
Markstrom was put to the test later in the period.
With just over five minutes remaining, Buffalo's Matt Moulson had two chances from point-blank range. Markstrom stopped the first with his foot and blocked the second with a pad.
The first period was scoreless with both teams registering six shots on net. Five of Vancouver's shots came in the first 6:42.
NOTES: Canuck G Ryan Miller, who didn't dress for Tuesday's win over St. Louis due to tightness in his adductor muscle, was the backup. ... Vancouver is the first team in NHL history to start the season with three wins and not lead in any of the games. ... Canucks scratches were RW Jake Virtanen, D Nikita Tryamkin and D Alex Biega. ... The Canucks play their first road game of the season Saturday in Los Angeles. ... Sabres C Johan Larsson dressed after taking a maintenance day Wednesday. ... Buffalo's last win in Vancouver was March 3, 2012. ... LW Nicholas Baptiste played in his second consecutive game after making his NHL debut Tuesday in Calgary. ... Buffalo scratches were RW Hudson Fasching and D Casey Nelson. ... Buffalo's next game is Tuesday in Philadelphia.