BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Cliff Ronning posted his second straight two-goal game and Kirk McLean recorded his first shutout of the season as theAlexander Mogilny makes it look easy against Dominik Hasek. (22k jpg)
Vancouver
Canucks blanked the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 Sunday, snapping their
five-game unbeaten streak.
Alexander Mogilny had a short-handed goal and an assist in his first game against his former teammates, helping Vancouver move two games above .500 for the first time this season. The Canucks also maintained their lead over fifth-place St. Louis, which beat Edmonton 4-3 Sunday, in the Western Conference playoff race.
Mogilny, who was traded from Buffalo to Vancouver in July, put the Canucks ahead to stay when he beat goaltender Dominik Hasek on a short-handed breakaway with 35 seconds left in the opening period. Mogilny failed to score on any of his 19 breakaways with the Sabres last season. He has six goals in his last six games.
Mogilny, who was booed by fans at the Memorial Auditorium, said he felt no added pressure playing against his former team.
"Absolutely not," he insisted. "It just happened to be Buffalo. ... The fans got so brainwashed with the (newspapers) and the management. They don't know what to think."
Ronning made it 2-0 at 5:03 of the third period, moments after McLean denied Brian Holzinger on a breakaway to preserve Vancouver's lead. Mogilny broke down the right wing two-on-one and slid the puck to Ronning, who steered it past Hasek for his 17th of the season.
"He's been one of the best players every game. He's phenomenal," Ronning said of his linemate, Mogilny. "He's either scoring it or passing it. Scoring that first goal took a lot off him."
Ronning closed the scoring with a power-play goal at 9:28, swatting a bouncing puck past Hasek from the slot. He has seven goals in his last nine games.
"We realize we have a good hockey club here," Ronning said. "We're playing a lot smarter, scoring goals at the right time."
McLean turned aside 32 shots for his 18th career shutout and first since April 11. He raised his lifetime mark against Buffalo to 4-1-3 and recorded the Canucks' first shutout over the Sabres since Gary Smith performed the feat Nov. 25, 1975.
"He played great tonight," Ronning said of McLean. "He made some great saves. I think our defense did a great job clearing the puck to the corner."
Buffalo also had its six-game home unbeaten streak snapped and remained seven points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
"We knew what Alex could do," said Sabres winger Brent Hughes. "You can't give him those opportunities. That (short-handed goal) got the ball going for them. We just didn't seem to have the jump. Alex sparked their club. We never got the spark with our club."
The Sabres played without injured wingers Brad May and Randy Burridge.
