Horvat scores three points, helps Canucks defeat Devils

VANCOUVER-- Bo Horvat scored two goals and had an assist for the Vancouver Canucks in a 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Horvat has scored 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in his past 11 games.
"When things are going in and helping your team offensively, you feel good about yourself," Horvat said.

J.T. Miller extended his point streak to 13 games with three assists, and Thatcher Demko made 32 saves for the Canucks (30-24-7), who ended a 12-game losing streak against the Devils that dated back to Nov. 25, 2014.
Vancouver is 4-1-1 in its past six games.
Miller has scored 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) during his streak, which ties Stan Smyl, Pavel Bure and Ryan Kesler for the third longest in Canucks history. His recent play earned comparisons to Daniel Sedin, Vancouver's career goals leader (393), and Henrik Sedin, the team's scoring leader (1,070 points), from coach Bruce Boudreau.
"You could see sometimes [the Sedins] weren't scoring, but they were just making plays and you look at the scorecard after and they're plus three, and they got three points," Boudreau said. "That's what great players do. Sometimes they're not totally visually dominant but sometimes they're just out there doing the right things. You put them in the right spots, and they take care of business and I think J.T. and Bo, both are really feeling it in that respect right now."
Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for the Devils (22-33-5), who are is 3-2-0 in in their past five.
"He's unreal," Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes said of his brother. "I thought he was probably the best player on the ice."

Nico Daws was pulled after four goals on 21 shots for New Jersey and replaced by Jon Gillies, who made eight saves.
Coach Lindy Ruff said the change was based partly on Daws' play, partly on trying to change the momentum, and partly because the Devils play again at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
"Puck went through him on a couple of goals. He's played well for us but a couple things and I thought we fought back well," Ruff said. "We got a big save from Jon right away and then we had our opportunities to probably change the complexion of the game but you've got to give Demko credit, he made he made a couple really big saves at critical times."
Brad Hunt put Vancouver ahead 1-0 at 3:34 of the first period with a slap shot from the left face-off dot off the rush, and Nils Hoglander made it 2-0 at 10:59 by knocking a rebound puck out of the air after a high Horvat shot from the slot.
New Jersey defeated Vancouver 7-2 on Feb. 28 after building an early lead.
"We knew how it went last game and we knew they were going to come out hard, especially in their own building," forward Jesper Bratt said. "You've got to be honest with yourself and say they were better than us."

Ryan Graves made it 2-1 at 17:17 with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle and Jack Hughes tied it 2-2 on a breakaway at 4:25 into the second period.
Horvat put Vancouver ahead 3-2 at 8:34 with a slap shot through Daws from the top of the left face-off circle, and Tanner Pearson scored 17 seconds later on a give-and-go off the rush to make it 4-2.
Nathan Bastian made it 4-3 at 11:55 on a rebound and New Jersey had a chance to tie it on a four-minute power play late in the period, but Horvat scored on a shorthanded breakaway 1:24 into the third period to make it 5-3.
"Obviously your number one goal is to kill it off and when you have the opportunity, when you see a chance to take off like that, [Quinn] Hughes made a great play to me and luckily I got it off quick enough to go in," Horvat said.
Juho Lammikko scored on a deflection at 12:10 for the 6-3 final.
New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was a late scratch with a non-COVID illness, and forward Pavel Zacha left 2:40 into the game with an upper body injury after getting hit while taking a shot and sliding heavily into the boards.
Ruff said Zacha was doubtful to play against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, and admitted they missed Siegenthaler, who plays on the top pair.
"It changes the complexion a lot," Ruff said. "He's been a guy that's played against all the top lines, top goal scorers, big body, has played extremely well. We've commented on how he's been one of our best defenseman all year long. He tried it in warm up, a non-COVID related illness and just couldn't fight through it."
NOTES: Devils forward Nico Hischier was minus-2 in 18:03 after missing three games with a lower-body injury. … Canucks center Elias Pettersson missed a second game with an upper-body injury; he skated on his own the past two days and could return Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. … Center Nic Petan was minus-1 while playing 8:18 after being called up from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.