Teddy Blueger of the Vancouver Canucks scores a goal on Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Canucks won 2-0 on Dec. 7, 2023, in Vancouver.Derek Cain/Getty Images
Casey DeSmith earned a 26-save shutout as the Vancouver Canucks snapped Minnesota’s four-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory over the Wild on Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
The shutout was DeSmith’s first since April 21, 2022.
Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger scored for Vancouver (17-9-1).
Filip Gustavsson stopped 15-of-17 shots for Minnesota (9-11-4), which had won its last eight meetings against Vancouver.
The Canucks lost three of their last five entering Thursday’s game.
Meanwhile, the Wild outscored their opponents 18-5 during their win streak.
Much of the first period was one-way traffic from Minnesota, with Vancouver going without a shot until there was 6:42 remaining. The Wild outshot the Canucks 12-4 in the frame.
Hoglander opened the scoring with 1:55 left in the first for his ninth of the season. The left-winger brought the puck up ice from his own zone, cut into the slot from just above the right faceoff circle and beat Gustavsson with a wrist shot.
While the second period was scoreless, things had changed. The Canucks recorded 10 shots to the Wild’s four, with Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson having the closest scoring chances for Vancouver.
Blueger got in on the action 2:05 into the third period with his second of the season. After Conor Garland’s pass split the Wild’s defence, Blueger deked Gustavsson from in close, going backhand then forehand to beat the sprawling goaltender.
Notes
Canucks forward Philip Di Giuseppe made his return after being a healthy scratch the past two games ... Vancouver’s home game was its first “Firefighters’ Night” to honour firefighters’ work during a historic wildfire season this past summer.
Up next
Vancouver hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.
Minnesota heads to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Friday in the third of its four-game road trip.