Goalie Tolopilo makes 32 saves as Canucks blank Anaheim Ducks 2-0

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Nikiti Tolopilo made 32 saves, lifting the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks in NHL action Thursday at Rogers Arena.

Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks (18-31-5). Tolopilo shared the shutout win with Kevin Lankinen, who came in for approximately two minutes early in the second period, making a single save. Lukas Dostal took the loss in goal for the Ducks (28-23-3), stopping 24 shots.

The teams battled through a scoreless first period, with each goalie making nine saves.

Lankinen was in goal for the Canucks to begin the second period, after Tolopilo was involved in a late first-period collision with Anaheim’s Ryan Poehling. Tolopilo was pulled by the league’s concussion spotter, but came back in after Lankinen made his one save.

Once again, the teams were scoreless in the middle frame. Shots after 40 minutes favoured the Ducks, 23-17.

O’Connor finally broke the scoreless tie midway through the third, taking a nice feed from Jake DeBrusk and depositing his 13th goal of the year behind Dostal.

With just over seven minutes to play, Tolopilo held firm against the post as Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger nearly jammed in a loose puck. Tolopilo made another nice save two minutes later off Jeffrey Viel as the Ducks looked for the equalizer.

The Ducks pulled Dostal in favour of an extra attacker and got a late power-play chance when Vancouver’s Conor Garland took a penalty with 48 seconds left but they were unable to beat Tolopilo.

Blueger then sealed the win with a 160-foot shorthanded shot that found the empty net. Blueger now has four goals on the season.

The Canucks host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (4 p.m.).

NOTES: The Canucks were without injured players Nils Hoglander (lower body), Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Marco Rossi (lower body) and Derek Forbort (undisclosed)… DeBrusk appeared in his 600th NHL game on Thursday… The Canucks celebrated their eighth annual Lunar New Year game and the Year of the Horse… Both teams were 0-for-3 on the power play.