New Jersey Devils at Vancouver Canucks

Hughes and Sharangovich help Devils beat Canucks 5-2

Nico Hischier, Michael McLeod and Dawson Mercer also had goals for the Devils (7-3-0), who won their fourth game in a row for the first time since October 2018.

Bo Horvat replied for the Canucks (2-6-2) with a pair of power-play goals. J.T. Miller assisted on both.

New Jersey netminder Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves and improved his career record against Vancouver to 5-0-0.

"I think we’ve been doing a good job of capitalizing on our chances as of late and really limiting stuff that the other team was getting in our end,” Blackwood said. “Tonight we did a good job of burying chances.”

Jesper Bratt had an assist on Hischier's fifth goal, extending his season-opening point streak to 10 games (four goals, 12 assists), which equaled a franchise record.

“I think (Bratt’s) playing a team game and he’s getting rewarded,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.

“He’s taking advantage of the opportunities and he’s finding a way every night to get on the board.”

Thatcher Demko stopped 32 of 36 shots for Vancouver.

The defeat snapped a two-game win streak for the Canucks, who lost seven in a row to start the season.

“We need our veteran guys and our better players to be better players consistently, every day, not just one good game here and one good game there,” Vancouver coach Bruce Boudreau said. “And that goes not only for (defensemen) but it goes for the forwards as well and the goaltending as well.”

Boudreau pulled his goalie with less than two minutes left and Hughes scored into the empty net.

Vancouver made a late push, pulling Demko in favor of an extra attacker after New Jersey’s Ryan Graves was called for holding with 3:34 left on the clock.

The move paid off when Horvat buried his second of the night with a one-timer from the high hash marks at the 17:12 mark, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

“Obviously, the puck’s going in right now. But I’d rather be getting wins than scoring goals right now. I’d rather have none and be 9-0-0,” Horvat said. “But it’s not the way it’s going right now. And we’ve got to put this one in the past and keep plugging away here.”

NEW FACES

Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear and center Jack Studnicka made their debuts for Vancouver after being acquired in separate trades last week. Star blueliner Quinn Hughes returned to the lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury.

NEW THREADS

The Canucks wore their new navy blue “Johnny Canuck” reverse retro jerseys. The sweaters pay homage to the team’s namesake, a lumberjack-looking character called Johnny Canuck, which served as the team’s logo when it entered the Western Hockey League in 1945.

UP NEXT

New Jersey: At the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Vancouver: Hosts the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

NJ leads series 1-0