Canucks 5, Senators 2
OTTAWA -- The Vancouver Canucks showed they can handle the Ottawa Senators indoors Thursday night. Next time, they take it outside.
The Canucks defeated the Senators 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre in the first of a two-game season series that switches to B.C. Place in March for the Heritage Classic.
Hours after unveiling the jerseys to be worn in the outdoor game, the Canucks proved to be too much for the Senators.
The Canucks scored four unanswered second-period goals, including three in the first five minutes, to change the momentum of the game.
Wingers Daniel Sedin and David Booth clicked 45 seconds apart, while defenseman Jason Garrison and winger Dale Weise also beat Senators goalie Craig Anderson.
While he didn't not leave the game after the Weise goal, Anderson was pulled shortly after it. He allowed four goals on 15 shots before. Anderson's replacement, Robin Lehner, stopped 12 of the 13 shots he saw.
A goal with 62 lefts in the second period by winger Mika Zibanejad cut the Canucks' lead to 4-2 and gave the Senators some hope heading into the third. However, Vancouver (13-9-5) restored its three-goal advantage when center Mike Santorelli scored at 5:31 of the third period.
The Senators (10-12-4) scored the only goal of the first period when left winger Clarke MacArthur took a pass at his own blue line, skated into Vancouver territory until he was near the bottom of the faceoff circle, then snapped a quick shot over goalie Roberto Luongo's right shoulder.
Luongo stopped 37 shots for the win.
NOTES: Canucks LW Daniel Sedin scored in the second period to become the third player in franchise history to reach the 300-goal plateau. He joined Markus Naslund (346) and Trevor Linden (318) in the exclusive group,. ... Senators D Jared Cowen was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. "I think Jared has struggled at times this year," coach Paul MacLean said of the 22-year-old former first-round pick. "I think that it's time for him to watch a game and see if he can settle himself down and get himself back playing the way we need him to play." ... Senators LW Clarke MacArthur scored his 100th NHL goal in the first period. ... Canucks coach John Tortorella is not discouraged by his team's play, even though Vancouver lost seven of eight heading the game. "We've talked about it for weeks here, I think our team has played well," Tortorella said before the game. "We haven't closed out games."
