Markstrom gets first NHL shutout in Canucks win against Hurricanes

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom insists he stopped worrying about shutouts and focused more on wins a long time ago, but admitted it was nice to finally combine the two in the NHL.
Markstrom made 30 saves for his first NHL shutout, and the Canucks defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

\[WATCH: All Hurricanes vs. Canucks highlights\]
It was Markstrom's first shutout in 129 games (115 starts) over eight NHL seasons. The record for most games in an NHL career without a shutout is 132, by Pokey Reddick, who played for the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers from 1986-94.
"Early in the career I had a couple really close ones and I was 21 years old and you really want a shutout in the NHL, and then it just kind of went away, that urge, and I just wanted to win and kind of accepted that I ain't getting one," Markstrom said with a laugh. "But it's fun, you want to help your team win, and if I don't let in any goals it's going to mean we're winning the hockey game."
Markstrom lost a shutout with 2:52 left in a 2-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday but was perfect against Carolina. He got his left pad on Derek Ryan's deke alone in tight 2:04 into the second period, and his glove on a Justin Williams wrist shot from the slot at 15:01.

Markstrom may not have been worried about the shutout but it was a topic of conversation on the Canucks bench in the third period as teammates tried to help close it out.
"You feel awesome for him. It was awesome to see him get that first one," said defenseman Derrick Pouliot, who had a goal and two assists for his first NHL three-point game. "He played unbelievable. I'm sure there will be many more."
Thomas Vanek and Nikolay Goldobin each scored for the Canucks (14-10-4), who have won three straight.

Scott Darling made 19 saves for the Hurricanes (11-10-5), who have lost five of seven (2-4-1). Playing their first game of a season-long six-game road trip, Carolina outshot Vancouver 12-3 in the first period but were outshot 10-5 and fell behind 2-0 in the second.
"We have a little bit of a letdown," defenseman Justin Faulk said. "I don't know if it's a thing of not having confidence right now. We are trying to find a way to continue that play we had in the first period and carry it into the second and not get disappointed that we didn't score, that we didn't get a lead. Just continue on with that play and know that if we continue to do that we're going to have plenty of opportunities and we are going to score."

Instead, Pouliot made it 1-0 on Vancouver's fifth shot of the game, at 2:58 of the second, after carrying the puck down the right wing, cutting into the slot and beating Darling with a shot to the glove side.
Vanek made it 2-0 at 13:50 with a power-play deflection in the slot, catching Darling moving right by tipping Sam Gagner's slap pass the other way.
Goldobin scored his first goal of the season on a pretty solo effort 6:26 into the third period, cutting between two defenders in the slot before hitting the post with a wrist shot and scoring on the rebound.

Goal of the game

Goldobin's goal at 6:26 of the third period.

Save of the game

Markstrom threw out his glove to stop Williams with 4:59 left in the second period.

Highlight of the game

Pouliot's goal at 2:58 of the second period.

They said it

"When we are good on the forecheck I feel like we create a lot of offence. We can turn pucks over in their zone, spend whole shifts in there. We did that in the first [period] and kind of got away from it in the second and the third." -- Carolina Hurricanes center Derek Ryan
"It happened so fast you can't really think so you are just trying to make a save. It's kind of desperation, which is nice to have, which I don't want to take out of my game. I don't want to be one of those goalies who is kind of all technique."-- Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom on his glove save off Justin Williams alone in the slot

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Need to know

Carolina had lost 10 straight in Vancouver since Oct. 15, 1999. … Canucks center Bo Horvat left with 11:10 remaining in the third period, returned briefly to the bench but left for good with 4:25 remaining with an undisclosed injury. "I don't have any update but he had a small injury that kept him out," coach Travis Green said.

What's next

Hurricanes: At the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, FS-CR, NHL.TV)
Canucks: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, NBCSP, NHL.TV)