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Canucks top Devils in SO

Oct 25, 2013 - 5:39 AM Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Santorelli scored the game-winner in the first round of the shootout to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday at Prudential Center.

Santorelli, who scored the game-winner in overtime the last time these teams met, opened the shootout with a wrister that sailed high over Cory Schneider.

Roberto Luongo did the rest for Vancouver, turning away all three New Jersey shooters to help the Canucks improve to 4-1-1 on their current seven-game road trip that wraps up Friday in St. Louis.

Ryan Kesler notched a goal and an assist, Daniel Sedin scored once, and Luongo finished with 28 saves in the victory.

"It's one of those games on the road where you're grinding and you're trying to get a point and we got two tonight so it feels great," Sedin said.

Eric Gelinas and Patrik Elias each lit the lamp once for New Jersey, which has lost two straight since notching its lone win of the season against the New York Rangers on Oct. 19.

Schneider, playing against his former team for the second time this season, stopped 19-of-21 shots in the setback.

"No disrespect to Vancouver but I thought I kind of gave them two goals there," Schneider said. "It's my fault we lost the point tonight."

Elias, who had missed New Jersey's last two games with flu-like symptoms, made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup, as he one-timed a perfect pass from Andrei Loktionov into the back of the net from the low right side to give the Devils a 1-0 lead at the 5:05 mark of the first period.

The Canucks countered just over a minute later when Schneider misplayed the puck to the right of his net, where Henrik Sedin secured the turnover before setting up Kesler's tap-in that made it 1-1 at 6:07.

New Jersey regained the lead near the midpoint of the frame after Vancouver's Jeremy Welsh went off for high-sticking at the 8:21 mark.

With the Devils working in the offensive zone, Gelinas fired a shot from the high slot that deflected off the arm of defenseman Christopher Tanev and sailed past Luongo to make it 2-1 at 9:41.

The Sedin twins combined to pull Vancouver even in the latter stages of the second when Henrik's dump-in from the red line ricocheted off the end boards and into the left circle, where Daniel recovered it before beating Schneider to the short side to make it 2-2 at 12:37.

New Jersey outshot Vancouver 17-7 in the third, but Luongo turned away all comers to force an extra session.

Neither team managed much in overtime, as the Canucks compiled four shots while the Devils mustered just one shot on goal.

Game Notes

Gelinas' goal was the first of his NHL career ... The Canucks have won five straight against the Devils ... New Jersey captain Bryce Salvador missed the game after returning home to Lethbridge, Alberta to deal with a death in his family ... New Jersey finished 1-for-3 on the power play while Vancouver failed on its two chances on the man advantage.