Zadorov scores twice, lifts Canucks past Canadiens

VANCOUVER -- Nikita Zadorov scored twice for the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

Ilya Mikheyev had two assists, and Casey DeSmith made 16 saves for the Canucks (44-18-8), who have won two in a row and are 6-1-1 in their past eight games.

“It's definitely something to build on,” said DeSmith, who is 2-1-1 since No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko sustained a lower-body injury March 9. “After a couple of tough losses here at home, it was good to string a couple of wins together. It's getting down to playoff mode and I think the low-scoring games, we're going to have to get used to being in them.”

Juraj Slafkovsky scored to extend his point streak to six games, and Sam Montembeault made 21 saves for the Canadiens (25-32-12), who have lost four in a row (0-2-2) and have one win in their past seven (1-4-2).

“We didn't create enough offensively. They just kind of smothered us,” Montreal assistant coach Trevor Letowski said. “We didn't get a lot of sustained offensive-zone shifts. We got a couple decent looks from the interior, but not nearly enough to score goals and win. We didn't have a lot of answers offensively, but our guys played hard, we competed, but just couldn't generate enough.”

Zadorov put the Canucks ahead 1-0 at 15:38 of the first period with a shot through traffic from the right point. He then made it 2-0 with 27 seconds left in the period, taking a cross-ice pass from Mikheyev and beating Montembeault from the top of the left circle.

“The first one was simple just to get the shot through," Zadorov said. "[Sam Lafferty] had a good screen, it went in, it was good puck placement. And then I just jumped in the rush, [Mikheyev] made a good play, I just had to hit the net.”

Conor Garland pushed it to 3-0 at 18:14 of the second period. He took a lead pass from Teddy Blueger and scored with a wrist shot off the rush from the left circle.

“Teddy just made a great play,” Garland said. “We want to be slashing across as wingers and he just had some poise and put it under the guy’s stick and hit me in stride, and I was fortunate enough the [defenseman] was on a late shift and I was aware I was going to have some time there, he just couldn't get all the way over. So, I just got lucky. I hit the post and it went the right way.”

Slafkovsky cut it to 3-1 with 53 seconds left in the period, redirecting Cole Caufield’s shot from the right point past DeSmith.

The Canadiens failed to convert on four power plays in the second period before Slafkovsky’s goal.

“If we score on the power play, it's a different game,” Slafkovsky said. “Today it didn't go in, but I still feel our power play is pretty good and we're just learning, and we'll get it done next time.”

Nils Aman made it 4-1 at 11:44 of the third period on a redirection at the bottom of the left circle off Tyler Myers’ wrist shot from the left point. It was his first goal in 24 games dating to Dec. 23.

“It’s a nice little tip, and good for him,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said of Aman. “Depth scoring 100 percent, [Lafferty] and Mikheyev getting a couple of assists, driving the net, converting on the 3-on-2, setting up those plays, it was nice.”

Montreal was held to three shots in the third period.

“We struggled to really generate a lot of [offensive]-zone time,” Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson said. “I think we'd spent way too much time in our [defensive] zone the first two periods and we were a little gassed by the time the third period came around to make a push. We have to go back and learn from it and figure out how we can break that pressure better earlier in the game.”

NOTES: Montreal announced before the game that forward Joshua Roy is out 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury after he blocked a slap shot with his right hand during a 3-2 overtime loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. … Slafkovsky has seven points (two goals, five assists) during his point streak. … Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games and had six hits in 14:12 of ice time.