Recap: Vancouver vs. Toronto
Sports Network | November 15, 2008
Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Roberto Luongo halted 28-of-30 Toronto shots as the Vancouver Canucks downed the Maple Leafs, 4-2, at General Motors Place.
Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Kesler, Willie Mitchell and Daniel Sedin each notched goals for Vancouver, which had a three-game winning streak snapped with a shootout loss to Colorado Wednesday. Pavol Demitra, who had missed the previous 10 games with a rib contusion, had three assists.
The loss also marked the end of an incredible stretch for Luongo, who entered against the Avalanche with three straight shutouts and eclipsed his own franchise-record scoreless streak by blanking Colorado over the first 41:28 to reach 242 minutes and 36 seconds of scoreless hockey.
The Canucks polished off of a season-high, six-game homestand at 4-1-1 and are now 6-2-1 as the host this season.
Ian White and Matt Stajan had the Leafs' scores as Toronto completed a three- game tour of western Canada at 1-2 and has claimed victory only twice in its last seven games overall.
Vesa Toskala surrendered four goals on nine shots and was lifted in the second period in favor of Curtis Joseph, who stopped all six of Vancouver's shots thereafter.
The Maple Leafs next head back to Toronto for a three-game homestand, starting Monday against Boston.
Wellwood got things started for Vancouver with a tip-in goal in front at the 7:13 mark of the first. The Canucks won an offensive zone faceoff back to Shane O'Brien at the right point. O'Brien dumped in along the right boards to Demitra, who rifled a pass in front for the tip.
Kesler's power-play marker with 1:58 remaining made it a 2-0 game after one period.
Vancouver used a pair of second period goals to up the advantage to 4-0. Mitchell's deflection off an Alex Burrows shot found the back of the net 3:35 in and Sedin netted his sixth goal of the year just under five minutes later, spelling the end of Toskala's night shortly thereafter.
Luongo was finally beaten by White with just over five minutes remaining and Stajan's power-play marker lit the lamp 2:37 later.
Vancouver has won three straight against the Leafs after going winless in the previous five meetings. Toronto is 4-3 with a tie in the last eight matchups at GM Place...Toronto is 4-5-1 as the visiting team this season...The Canucks will visit the New York Islanders on Monday in the opener of a four-game road trip...Wellwood's goal was his seventh of the season...Toronto was 1-for-8 on the power play while Vancouver went 1-for-5.
