Jacob Markstrom and the Vancouver Canucks were good enough on Sunday.
Two days after saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 not good enough,鈥� Markstrom made 30 saves for his second career shutout and the Canucks beat the Dallas Stars 6-0.
鈥淭hat was one of the best game I鈥檝e seen him play.鈥� 鈥� Jake Virtanen comments on Goaltender Jacob Markstrom鈥檚 shutout in Dallas.
鈥� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Markstrom also had said some teammates weren鈥檛 playing well enough to be in the NHL after Vancouver鈥檚 fourth straight loss.
鈥淲e talked, the whole team, (Saturday),鈥� Markstrom said, 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 happy with the result and how we were playing hockey. It鈥檚 frustrating when we know how good we can play. This was a perfect example.鈥�
Reid Boucher scored his first two goals of the season to help Vancouver equal its highest goal total.
Boucher opened the scoring 2:11 into the game. Dallas defenceman Dan Hamhuis tried to carry the puck out from behind the goal, but Boucher hit the puck into the right corner of the net.
鈥淚 got a good jump, won the battle, and just tried to stuff it in there,鈥� Boucher said. 鈥淚 saw it go in. Nobody really moved or did anything. I told (a referee), and then he went over and took a look at it.鈥�
After the video review, the goal counted.
鈥淚t was definitely nice to get a lead,鈥� Vancouver coach Travis Green said. 鈥淎nd the type of goal. We talked about going to the net tonight and finding a greasy goal.鈥�
The Canucks鈥� Jake Virtanen and Thomas Vanek also scored in the first 13:27. Virtanen鈥檚 goal came on a breakaway after picking off Mattias Janmark鈥檚 pass in the Vancouver zone.
鈥淭he concern for me is the odd-man rushes,鈥� Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e giving up more, which is a recipe for disaster. We tried to put the brakes on it and weren鈥檛 able to, so now we鈥檝e paid the price and this should get everybody鈥檚 attention.鈥�
In the second period, Bo Horvat scored on the power play, and Boucher connected on a tip-in. Erik Gudbranson had a third-period goal.
Dallas won its previous five games, with the loss preventing the Stars from passing St. Louis for third place in the Central Division.
The Canucks had not beaten Dallas in regulation time since Feb. 21, 2013. The Stars were 13-0-1 in the previous 14 games against Vancouver.
Dallas鈥� Kari Lehtonen had 19 saves after replacing Ben Bishop following Horvat鈥檚 goal. Bishop allowed four goals in 20 shots.
The Canucks came out firing with 10 of the first 11 shots on goal and a 16-6 advantage for the first period.
Boucher had another scoring chance five minutes after his first goal, but Bishop made a pad save on Boucher鈥檚 short backhand.
鈥淭hat was a great save he made on that one. I got about three or four good whacks at it,鈥� Boucher said.
Video review also denied that an attempt by Dallas鈥� Jason Spezza to tuck the puck into the left corner crossed the goal line midway through the first period.
鈥淭oday we were strong on the blue lines,鈥� Markstrom said. 鈥淲e blocked a ton of shots.鈥�
Gudbranson had five of Vancouver鈥檚 20 blocks.
Daniel Sedin led Vanek with a pass across the blue line for his slap shot from the slot into the upper left corner.
Horvat scored on a wrist shot from the slot at 4:41 of the second period. At 14:35, Boucher deflected Derrick Pouliot鈥檚 shot from the blue line past Lehtonen.
NOTES: The Canucks鈥� previous largest margin of victory had been four goals. Only three teams have fewer points than Vancouver鈥檚 50. 鈥� The Stars had their most lopsided loss while tying for the most goals allowed in 2017-18. 鈥� Boucher鈥檚 goals came in his sixth NHL game this season and tied his career high for a game. 鈥� Each team was playing its third game in four days. 鈥� Vanek has 23 points in 23 career games against the Stars. 鈥� In Markstrom鈥檚 first 150 games, his only shutout was this season on Dec. 5 at Carolina, when he had 30 saves.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Return home for one game against Florida on Wednesday.
Stars: Finish a three-game homestand on Friday vs. St. Louis.
The Associated Press
