By Jack Thompson, The Associated Press on April 3, 2024.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) – Conor Garland scored the tiebreaking goal with 1:51 remaining and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on Wednesday night. Garland grabbed the rebound of Quinn Hughes’ missed shot and fired it past Connor Ingram to give the Canucks a seven-point lead in the Pacific Division with six games remaining. Hughes scored on the power play midway through the second period and rookie Arturs Silvos had 22 saves for Vancouver. Silvos, in just his second game of the season and eighth of his career, didn’t have much work in the first two periods as Arizona only managed eight shots. He was called up last month to replace No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko, who has been sidelined since March 9 with a lower-body injury but is expected back as soon as next week. The Coyotes applied more pressure with 15 shots in the third, and Dylan Guenther tied it midway through the period with a power-play goal. Clayton Keller had an assist on the play, extending his points streak to nine games. Connor Ingram stopped 31 shots for the Coyotes, who had trouble generating any offense, managing just three shots in the first period and five in the second. Josh Brown was in the penalty box for delay of game when Hughes scored on a shot from between the circles. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson assisted on the goal, Hughes’ 16th of the season. The Canucks’ Miller and the Coyotes’ Jack McBain fought in the second period. NEXT Canucks: At Los Angeles on Saturday. Coyotes: Host Vegas on Friday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL 14