Antoine Roussel scored in his first game back after being sidelined for eight months with an injury, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2
Antoine Roussel scored in his first game back after being sidelined for eight months with an injury, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 Tuesday night.
Zack MacEwen got his first NHL goal, and Tanner Pearson, Elias Pettersson and Oscar Fantenberg also scored for Vancouver, which won for just the fifth time in 15 games (5-8-2). Chris Tanev and Adam Gaudette each had two assists and Thatcher Demko stopped 40 shots.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tyler Ennis scored for the Senators, who lost their fifth straight. Anders Nilsson gave up four goals on 15 shots in the first period, and Marcus Hogberg finished with 13 saves the rest of the way.
The Canucks got off to a fast start, scoring four times in the first period to take control of the game.
Roussel, who underwent ACL surgery in his right knee last March, scored on his first shift. Gaudette stole the puck near center ice, skated into the Ottawa zone, then passed to Roussel who had an open net with 1:50 in.
A turnover set up Pearson’s goal at 4:28 as Tanev knocked down a clearing pass at the blue line then found Pearson alone at the side of the net for his eighth.
Pettersson made it 3-0 on a power play with 6:02 remaining in the period as he was left alone at the side of the net and deflected a pass from Brock Boeser in.
MacEwen, playing in his 11th career game, deflected Jordie Benn’s shot with 3:37 left.
The Senators applied pressure in the second period, forcing Demko to make a couple of big saves. He stopped Connor Brown on a breakaway and denied Pageau left alone in the slot.
Pageau finally scored off a scramble with 8:01 to go in the second.
The Senators scored just 40 seconds into the third to pull to 4-2 when Ennis deflected Thomas Chabot’s shot.
Fantenberg, playing in just his second game with the Canucks, made it 5-2 at 7:34 with a rising shot from the blue line.
NOTES: Before the game, former Vancouver forward Alex Burrows was the seventh player inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. In 12 years with the Canucks, Burrows had 193 goals and 191 assists in 822 games. … The Canucks placed D Alex Edler on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. … Pettersson played his 100th NHL game. … Vancouver G Jacob Markstrom is expected back on Saturday after being granted a leave of absence to attend his father’s funeral in Sweden. … Ottawa G Craig Anderson could return Wednesday at Edmonton.
UP NEXT
Senators: At Edmonton on Wednesday night.
Canucks: Host Buffalo on Saturday.
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