Canucks 3 - 0 Sabres
Final
  for this game

Luongo blanks Sabres as Canucks prevail

Oct 18, 2013 - 4:50 AM Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Roberto Luongo stopped all 25 shots he faced earn his first shutout of the season, and Vancouver scored one goal in all three periods as the Canucks blanked the Buffalo Sabres, 3-0.

The Canucks dominated the game from the opening drop, out-shooting Buffalo 19-7 in the first period. Chris Higgins scored the first goal, Brad Richardson lit the lamp in the second and Ryan Stanton tallied the final goal midway through the third.

"It was a great start by us," Luongo said. "We came out flying."

Vancouver, which was coming off a win in Philadelphia on the heels of back-to- back 4-1 home losses, has won three straight on the road.

Ryan Miller had 31 saves in a losing effort for the Sabres, who were coming off their first win of the season Tuesday against the Islanders.

"He played great again," Sabres head coach Ron Rolston said of Miller. "He played fabulous for us. He's been our best player since the start."

The visitors opened the scoring at the 14:53 mark of the first period when a deflected pass from Mike Santorelli landed right on his stick in front of the net, and Higgins' one-timer beat Miller glove side.

A Canucks power-play was winding down past the midway point of regulation when a 3-on-2 break led to Richardson tapping Jason Garrison's shot out of mid-air and into the back of the net.

Buffalo nearly cut ist deficit in half early in the third but a video review ruled that Thomas Vanek's wrister did not cross the goal line. Vanek received a pass skating down the right flank and launched a shot off the crossbar, which bounced on the goal line behind Luongo but never crossed it.

Stanton's snap-shot provided the visitors an insurance goal at the 10:04 mark of the third.

Henrik Sedin controlled the disc behind the net and centered for his brother Daniel, who fanned on the shot. The puck skipped around and found a crashing Stanton, who took advantage of a screen in front of Miller and fired his shot past him for his first goal of the season.

Game Notes

Vancouver had lost four of its last five against Buffalo, dating back to January of 2007, entering Thursday's clash ... Santorelli posted his first two assists of the season ... Both clubs are in action on Saturday, as the Canucks continue their season-long seven-game road trip in Pittsburgh, while Buffalo remains home to play the surging Avalanche.






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