Hansen scores twice to help Canucks ground Jets
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jannik Hansen scored a pair of goals as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Sven Baertschi and Bo Horvat (empty net) also scored for Vancouver. Henrik Sedin added a pair of assists for the Canucks (14-16-3).
Hansen scored five goals this year -- three of them in the last two games.
Blake Wheeler scored for Winnipeg, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped. The Jets (15-17-3) won back-to-back games six times this season but haven't put three straight wins together.
Vancouver goaltender Jacob Markstrom, making his first start in four games, stopped 31 shots. Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves.
Hansen put Vancouver ahead 2-1 at 3:19 of the third. Hellebuyck swatted the puck into the side boards where Daniel Sedin gained control. He passed it to Hansen, who was about two steps inside the blue line. Hansen waited a moment, then took a shot that sailed over the goaltender's glove. Henrik Sedin was screening in front of the net.
Baertschi scored on a breakaway 3:22 later. He blocked a Dustin Byfuglien shot just inside the Canucks zone, then grabbed the loose puck. Baertschi used to his speed to outrace the Jets' defensemen before scoring his seventh of the season on a backhand at 6:41.
Hansen's first goal tied the game 1-1 at 9:18 of the second. Henrik Sedin threaded a pass from behind the net that Hansen blasted through traffic into the goal. A leaping Daniel Sedin helped to screen Hellebuyck.
The goal came after the Sedins controlled the puck in the Jets' end for close to 40 seconds.
Wheeler's power-play goal gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead after the first period.
With Vancouver's Ben Hutton off for slashing, Byfuglien sent a pass from his own end into the Canucks' zone. Wheeler took the puck off the boards, flew past Vancouver defenseman Alex Biega, and tucked the puck into the corner of the net for his 10th of the season at 14:08.
It was only the sixth time this season the Jets scored a power-play goal on the road.
NOTES: It was the first time in their NHL careers that Canucks D Chris Tanev played against his brother, Jets LW Brandon Tanev. ... D Chris Tanev celebrated his 27th birthday Tuesday. ... Vancouver D Alex Edler, out nine games with a fractured finger, has been skating on his own but isn't expected to return until after Christmas. ... D Andrey Pedan and C Brendan Gaunce, for a fourth straight game, were the healthy scratches. ... G Ryan Miller was 1-1-1 and allowed 12 goals in his last three starts. ... Nic Petan returned to the Jets' lineup after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. ... D Mark Stuart, C Alexander Burmistrov and RW Chris Thorburn were healthy scratches. ... Last season, Winnipeg won back-to-back games 10 times before ending the year with a four-game win streak. ... The Canucks and Jets play again Thursday in Vancouver.