Laurent Brossoit on Friday made 29 saves for his second career shutout, while Mark Scheifele scored on a first-period breakaway as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-0.
The teams are to complete their two-game series in Vancouver today.
Brossoit’s first NHL shutout also came in Vancouver, a 1-0 decision on Dec. 22, 2018.
Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY
“They all feel good, especially when it’s in your hometown being that much better,” Brossoit said. “It’s just another good game to add to a good start to our season.”
Brossoit, who backs up Connor Hellebuyck, is an underrated goaltender, Jets coach Paul Maurice said.
“He made a couple of really good saves where he had to get across hard, but by the time he got there he was really in his own structure,” Maurice said. “He was composed with it, and then the rebound control. There wasn’t anything that might have got away from him.”
Mason Appleton added an empty-netter.
Thatcher Demko made 29 saves for the Canucks.
“I thought you knew right from the puck drop that it was the type of game where if there was going to be a mistake, it would have a big impact on the end result of the game,” Demko said. “So kind of a playoff-style game, but I thought our guys rose to the challenge and put a good effort in.”
A skirmish between Winnipeg’s Derek Forbort and Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander erupted into a pileup with 41 seconds left.
Players from each side paired off as their teammates jeered from the benches before officials could intervene.
Scheifele’s goal followed a misstep by the Vancouver defense, where the puck bounced between the feet of Alex Edler at the Canucks’ blue line.
Scheifele chased it down for a breakaway, putting a backhander past Demko 7 minutes, 25 seconds into the game.
The center has a nine-game points streak.
“I obviously saw [Demko] was far out of the net, but he’s a pretty stellar goaltender, a big body, so just kind of made my move and he bit a little bit so I was happy to put it in,” Scheifele said. “I don’t get many breakaways, so it’s fun when you put them in.”
HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 3
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Nino Niederreiter had two goals and an assist and the Carolina Hurricanes cooled off the Chicago Blackhawks.
Niederreiter capped his big night by scoring on the power play with 4:56 left, pushing the puck past Kevin Lankinen from the top of the crease for his ninth of the season.
That made it 4-2, putting the Hurricanes in control after quickly blowing a two-goal lead late in the second.
RED WINGS 2, PANTHERS 7
In Detroit, Michigan, Patric Hornqvist scored in the first and third periods to help Florida rout Detroit.
Juho Lammikko and MacKenzie Weegar had goals on consecutive shots in the opening period, while Hornqvist made it 3-0 in a four-shot stretch that doomed a Detroit team averaging an NHL-low 1.9 goals a game.
FLAMES 1, OILERS 2
In Calgary, Alberta, Jesse Puljujarvi and Gaetan Haas scored, while Mike Smith made 20 saves as Edmonton beat Calgary to open a home-and-home series.
Defenseman Rasmus Andersson scored for Calgary and David Rittich made 23 saves.
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