By Canadian Press

Miller perfect as Canucks blank Coyotes 2-0; Vancouver’s first shutout of season

Jan 4, 2017 | 9:45 PM

VANCOUVER — After blasting out of the holiday break with five straight wins, the Vancouver Canucks suddenly find themselves above .500 and back in the playoff conversation.

Goalie Ryan Miller made 22 saves and Vancouver shut out the visiting Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi scored for the Canucks (19-18-3), who are now riding their longest win streak of the season. Vancouver won four straight to open their season, but quickly plummeted into a nine-game losing stretch soon after. They have been alternating wins and losses with a below .500 record until this recent surge.

“Early on our habits were off. When habits are good you see these kind of results,” said Miller, who registered his 37th career shutout and first in 70 games. “That’s why we have faith in this group because when we play the right way we can produce some stretches when we play good hockey and produce some points. We just have to keep this going and build confidence and keep matching up against some of these big teams coming up.”

Vancouver is sixth in the more forgiving Pacific Division and one point back of Los Angeles for the final wild card spot.

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“To come out of the break with five straight wins, it definitely helps our confidence,” said Horvat. “We need these points going into the second half of the season. This is big for us.”

The struggling Coyotes (11-22-5) have lost eight straight and remain last in the Pacific Division. Starting goalie Mike Smith made 21 saves.

Smith says his team needs to focus on being more consistent if they hope to pull out of this funk.

“It’s going to take hard work, and it’s going to take doing the little things right on a consistent basis,” said Smith. “It’s going to take discipline, and it’s going to take looking at yourself in the mirror and figuring a way to get out of this.”

A defensive gaffe from the Coyotes midway in the first led to Vancouver opening the scoring. Defenceman Kevin Connauton coughed up the puck right on to Baertschi’s stick in Arizona’s zone and the red-hot Canucks forward wristed it past Smith. It was Baertschi’s 11th goal of the season and seventh in the past 11 games.

After a scoreless second, Sutter made it 2-0 seven minutes into the third on a penalty shot after getting hooked by Luke Schenn. Sutter made a nice deke before lifting a backhand over Smith’s goalie pads. It was Sutter’s first successful penalty shot in his NHL career.

“It’s always tough, especially after a shift when you’re tired, your nerves get going a little bit, you try to calm down and get something going,” said Sutter. “Fortunately it worked out this time.”

Horvat added a goal with six minutes left when he also went backhand on a breakaway against Smith.

Miller preserved the shutout with a couple of impressive saves during an Arizona power play in the final minutes.

“We didn’t give up a whole lot,” added Sutter. “We stayed tight and Millsy was there when we needed him. We’re definitely playing well defensively right now and that’s what’s been the difference for us.”

Notes: The Canucks claimed forward Reid Boucher off waivers on Wednesday. It’s his second team this week. The Devils waived him Tuesday after claiming him Monday from Nashville. Boucher has one goal and two assists in 12 games this season between New Jersey and the Preds.

Jason Keller, The Canadian Press