Cory Schneider gets first shutout as Vancouver Canucks defeat Anaheim Ducks – NHL update
Cory Schnieder’s had his first shutout after 29 appearances in the league. Manny Malhotra scored two consecutive goals to give Vancouver a win over the Ducks, 3-0, at the Honda Centre in Anaheim, California.
Anaheim was all pumped up going into the game with the Vancouver Canucks Sunday night, looking to extend their winning streak to four but one thing that they didn’t realize was that Manny Malhotra and Corey Schneider had other plans. Schneider shutout the
Anaheim Ducks with ease and made 26 faultless saves, giving his team the win.
The Ducks wanted to walk away with a solid home winning streak, which lasted just two games against the all powerful Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars, but failed in their third game against Vancouver with one more to go.
"We're getting back to the things that made us successful over the course of the year," said Malhotra, whose been contributing but hasn’t contributed like this in four months. "[We're] getting on teams quick, forcing them to make errors and forechecking
really hard. I think our goals were a result of that."
Vancouver is doing well this year but was starting to get sluggish in February. They have been unable have more than two consecutive wins but have tried to find their game again. First string goalie, Roberto Luongo, has really been a huge support for them,
making numerous shutouts and keeping the team focused as he takes care of business. Luongo’s recently had his 300th career win against their last opponent, the Los Angeles Kings, beating them 3-1 on a five game road trip.
Schneider has proved himself to be more than a backup goalie, making the right saves at the right time. Coach Alain Vigneault was extremely proud of him when commenting on his performance after the game.
The Game
Vancouver had one goal in each period but had almost half the attempts the Ducks did throughout the match. Anaheim’s Canadian goalie, Dan Ellis, was only able to make 13 out of 16 saves, his first loss in five appearances.
Malhotra looked like he just wanted to score the minute he entered the rink. He ended up scoring 47 seconds into the first period, making it his 100th career goal. Jannik Hansen picked up his second assist to Malhotra from behind the net within
17 seconds into the second period taking the lead at the end of the first 40 minutes, 2-0. Brandon McMillan was penalized for two minutes in the final period for tripping Daniel Sedin. Sedin got his revenge when he shot for the net and was helped out by Ducks
Defenseman Andreas Lilja, who accidently slid the puck through Ellis’s legs.
"They played a strong defensive game, so you've got to give them credit," a humble Ellis said. "They're the top team in the league for a reason. They don't beat themselves. They have a strong, sound structure, and they've got some good players.”
The Canucks hope to take their winning game-plan into their next match-up.
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