Canucks overcome travel woes to down Maple Leafs 3-0

Toronto Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies (23) controls a bouncing puck as Vancouver Canucks' Tyler Myers (57) and goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) look on during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, January 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves for his fourth shutout of the season as the travel-weary Vancouver Canucks picked up a gutsy 3-0 victory over the listless Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Quinn Hughes, with a goal and an assist, Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood scored for Vancouver (19-13-10). Tyler Myers had two assists. Lankinen’s shutout was the seventh of his NHL career.

The Canucks didn’t arrive in Toronto until roughly seven hours before puck drop due to inclement winter weather on Friday night after falling 2-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes on the front end of a back-to-back.

Dennis Hildeby stopped 15 shots for the Leafs (27-15-2), who were coming off Thursday’s 6-3 road loss in Carolina that snapped a five-game winning streak.

Boeser put the visitors up 1-0 just 31 seconds into the opening period when he tipped in the game’s first shot off a Myers effort from the point.

Hughes then doubled Vancouver’s lead late in the second period on a delayed penalty before Sherwood made it 3-0 early in the third.

TAKEAWAYS

Canucks: Head coach Rick Tocchet said the team didn’t land in Toronto until noon ET and arrived at its hotel around 2 p.m. despite a police escort from the airport.

Leafs: Hildeby made his fifth career start with Joseph Woll getting the night off. The 23-year-old’s last appearance was a 30-save performance in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 5. Anthony Stolarz, who had great numbers to open the season splitting time with Woll, remains on injured reserve with a knee issue that required surgery last month.

KEY MOMENT

Vancouver was set to go on its first power play late in the second, but Hughes stretched the visitors' lead to two when the captain scored his ninth on a shot that caromed in past Hildeby.

KEY STAT

The Canucks entered Saturday having dropped six of their last seven games (1-3-3) and had just one regulation victory since mid-December (2-4-5).

UP NEXT

Canucks: Conclude a five-game road trip Tuesday in Winnipeg against the Jets.

Maple Leafs: Continue a three-game homestand the same night against the Dallas Stars.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2025.