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Canucks score 7 times in win over Caps

Oct 30, 2011 - 5:56 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Henrik Sedin's goal early in the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Vancouver Canucks outlasted the Washington Capitals, 7-4, at Rogers Arena.

Chris Higgins and Maxim Lapierre each notched their second goal of the game in the third to seal Vancouver's third win in five games.

Roberto Luongo stopped 28-of-32 shots for the win.

"We know that the offensive talent is in this locker room," Luongo said. "We're not going to score seven every game and sometimes you are going to get shut out, but if we stay with it and stick to our principles we're going to get rewarded more often than not."

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and Nicklas Backstrom recorded two assists in a losing effort for Washington.

Tomas Vokoun started in net for the Capitals and allowed three goals on 17 shots before being pulled for Michal Neuvirth after the first period. Neuvirth made 22 saves in Washington's second straight loss.

Sedin snapped a 4-4 tie 6:18 into the third period when he grabbed a loose puck in front of the net that Neuvirth thought he had in his glove and flicked the disc into the open net.

Just 34 seconds later, Jannik Hansen grabbed a Washington turnover at center ice and raced into the Capitals' zone. He made his way down to the right corner before sending a pass across the crease to Higgins, whose one-timer sailed past Neuvirth for a 6-4 lead.

The Canucks then put the game away with 9:35 left in regulation when Lapierre cruised down the ice with Higgins on a 2-on-1. Lapierre glided down the right side of the zone as Higgins tapped his stick on the ice waiting for a pass, but Lapierre took the shot himself and wristed the puck through the legs of the goaltender.

"They made a push in the third and we didn't match it," Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman said.

Lapierre opened the scoring just 3:31 into the opening period when beat out an icing call and grabbed the puck right in front of Vokoun, who was waiting for the puck in the trapezoid behind the net, and shot the puck off of the goaltender and into the net.

Ovechkin tied the game five minutes later when he jabbed a shot from in front of the net that deflected into the air, over the head of Luongo and bounced across the crease.

The Canucks then took a 3-1 lead into the first break thanks to a couple of power-play goals. Higgins wristed his own rebound over a prone Vokoun with 6:43 left in the frame, and Alexander Edler sent a one-timer under the crossbar from the high slot with four seconds to go.

Ovechkin tallied a power-play goal less than two minutes into the second on a one-timer from the right circle to make it a one-goal game, and Mike Knuble took advantage of a penalty-shot opportunity when his wrister bounced off Luongo's glove and trickled across the line to knot the game at three with 14:53 left in the second.

An Edler one-timer found the twine at the eight-minute mark and Marcus Johansson's hard wrister from the right circle ripped into the net with 2:06 remaining to send the game into the third period tied at four.

Game Notes

The Canucks have not lost in regulation to Washington in Vancouver since March 28, 1998...Vancouver has won eight of the past nine meetings overall in the series.