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Daniel Sedin's two goals helps Canucks outlast Ducks

Dec 23, 2008 - 7:01 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- Daniel Sedin helped the Vancouver Canucks overcome their goaltending woes.

Sedin scored two goals, helping the Canucks escape with a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.

Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler both recorded power-play tallies and Steve Bernier had two assists as Vancouver improved to 6-6-1 without injured goaltender Roberto Luongo.

"You need your top players to play to their level and with our top player Roberto being out, those guys have got to step up and show more in the dressing room and on the ice and I think Daniel has definitely done that for us," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Canucks captain has been sidelined since suffering a groin injury during a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 22.

Curtis Sanford finished with 24 saves in this one, but nearly gave up a three-goal lead in the third period.

"We had that game, in my mind, in total control and you give a team like that a 5-on-3 on a penalty that was unneeded and obviously you're going to give them momentum and they're going to run with it," Vigneault said. "They had a lot of momentum in that third period, Curtis made some big saves, and the important thing is we were able to win the game."

With Kevin Bieksa and Jannik Hansen both in the penalty box for slashing and tripping infractions, respectively, Corey Perry carried the puck in on net and passed across the crease. The puck went through the legs of one Ducks' forward and directly to defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who fired a shot past Sanford for the power-play goal with 8:27 left in the final session.

"There are always good signs in games and that was one tonight, I guess," said Niedermayer of the third-period surge. "Unfortunately, it would have been nice to play that way all night and maybe it would have been a different story if we had done that. (We've) just got to find a way to do that from the start."

Anaheim narrowed the deficit to 4-3 2:28 later when Perry knocked a high pass out of the air near the goal line. The puck deflected off Sanford, negating a high stick, and Samuel Pahlsson buried it from the crease for his third goal of the season.

"I didn't think we really engaged in the hockey game emotionally until the third period and then we got desperate and we started playing more of the type of hockey that is required to have success on the road," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

After Bobby Ryan opened the scoring for Anaheim with a power-play goal 8:32 into the first period, Raymond and Kesler countered with man-advantage tallies of their own.

"We took advantage of their penalties tonight and we scored two on the power play so that was key for us tonight," Sedin said. "I think overall it was a good game. They made it close in the end there but Sanford did a good job tonight and our power play I think was key tonight too."

With Steve Montador serving a hooking penalty, Mattias Ohlund's shot from the right point was stopped by Jonas Hiller, but Raymond managed to poke the rebound behind the Ducks' netminder for his eighth goal of the season with 7:09 remaining in the opening session.

"We've got to get pucks to the net and create those scrambles and go to the net. Good things are going to happen when you go to the net," Raymond said. "Obviously, special teams are huge now. We're always talking about it as a group in here. We think those can be the difference maker in the game."

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead 5:02 later with George Parros in the box for hooking.

Raymond's shot from the right wing found its way onto the stick of Bernier, who was screening in front of the net. Bernier then sent a blind backhand pass to Kesler stationed at the top of the crease to the right of Hiller.

Kesler managed to fight off the defenseman and slid the puck between the legs of Hiller and into the net for his eighth goal.

Sedin deflected Rob Davison's slap shot from the left point over the blocker of Hiller, giving the Canucks a 3-1 advantage 4:35 into the second period.

Sedin notched his second goal of the game 6:31 into the third when he intercepted a pass by Ducks' defenseman Brett Festerling at the red line and skated in all alone. He beat Hiller with a wrist shot past his right side for his 17th of the season.

"Those mistakes happen in a game," said Carlyle of the turnover. "Festerling's been an excellent addition. The youth that he's displaying hasn't been noticeable at all. He's a young hockey player that's played very well for our team."