Henrik and Daniel Sedin spark Canucks to 5-2 win over Brodeur and Devils

Sedin twins spark Canucks to 5-2 win over Devils

NEWARK, N.J. — Henrik and Daniel Sedin had a hand in three first-period goals, and Roberto Luongo made 27 saves as the Vancouver Canucks beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Alex Burrows, Sami Salo, Daniel Sedin, Alexander Elder and Jannik Hansen had goals for the Canucks, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Luongo topped New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur in a matchup of likely Canadian goalies when the Olympic Games are held in Vancouver in February. They are competing for the starting job on the team.

Niclas Bergfors and Travis Zajac scored for the Devils, who had won three straight and six in a row at home.

After a tentative opening five minutes, the tempo turned fast and furious with the Canucks leading 3-2 after one period.

It was all Vancouver early, with the Sedin twins combining for four points as the Canucks jumped out to a 3-0 lead. It marked the 70th time both of the Sedins recorded multiple points in an NHL game.

Burrows got the Canucks rolling with his third goal in four games. Daniel Sedin flipped a shot on net that Burrows deflected. It hit Brodeur’s glove before trickling in at 6:33.

Salo got the second Canucks goal with a slap shot from the right point at 10:03 as Mikael Samuelsson, right in front of the crease, screened Brodeur.

The Canucks caught the Devils in a line change, leaving Daniel Sedin wide open in the left circle to rip a shot past Brodeur at 12:32.

Then the momentum shifted in New Jersey’s favor.

Bergfors put the Devils on the board, taking a drop pass from Andy Greene to beat Luongo from the left circle at 16:05 with the teams skating 4-on-4.

New Jersey mounted its best sustained pressure in the final minute and it paid off as Zajac scored with 6 seconds left.

The pace was less frenzied in the scoreless second period. New Jersey had the best chances with 3 minutes left as Luongo, flat on his back, made three point-blank stops on Zach Parise who had his 10-game point streak end.

In the third, Elder put the Canucks up 4-2 at 1:36, flipping a shot from above the left circle between the legs of Devils center Rob Niedermayer and Brodeur.

Vancouver put the game out of reach at 5:18 as Hansen polished off a 2-on-1 break with Kevin Bieksa.

Luongo came up strong midway through the period when the Devils had a 5-on-3 power-play advantage for 1:06. He turned away Zajac and Patrik Elias, preserving the Canucks’ 5-2 advantage.

NOTES: The Devils, ravaged this season by injuries, got Niedermayer back after he missed 11 games due to an upper body injury. The Devils activated Niedermayer from the injured list and assigned C Tom Sestito to Lowell (AHL). … The Canucks started a four-game road trip that will take them to Philadelphia, Carolina and Nashville.