Vanek gets five points in Canucks win against Blackhawks

VANCOUVER -- When Vancouver Canucks forward Thomas Vanek saw Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg reach back with the paddle of his stick to stop his shot toward an empty net 3:05 into the first period, he thought it might not be his night. He was wrong.
Vanek scored two goals and had three assists, and the Canucks ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 win at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

"After that paddle save] I was like, 'Ah, it's going to be a long night,' " said Vanek, who was also robbed on tip-in late in the first period. "I thought early on it was going to be one of those nights where it goes the other way. I had some good chances early and he made some great saves. As a line, we stuck with it. We kept talking on the bench and just created."
***[WATCH: [All Blackhawks vs. Canucks highlights]*
Vanek combined with linemates Brock Boeser and Sam Gagner for five goals and seven assists in their third game together. Gagner had two goals and an assist, Boeser scored in his fourth straight game and had three assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves for the Canucks (16-17-5), who won for the second time in 10 games (2-7-1).

"It's been a blast," Boeser, who leads the Canucks -- and all NHL rookies -- with 21 goals and 38 points, said of the new line. "Just based off of last game, I thought our chemistry was building."
Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman scored, and Forsberg made 26 saves for the Blackhawks (17-14-5), who have lost three straight after winning the previous five.
"We've got to start stringing some wins together," defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "We can't be pushing it into three-, four-, five-game losing streaks."
Forsberg was making his first start since Corey Crawford was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with an upper-body injury that will keep him out at least a week. Chicago scored three goals while losing the past three games, and hasn't scored more than two goals in Forsberg's past five starts.
"Whether we are scoring or not scoring, my job is to stop the puck, and five goals is way too much," Forsberg said.
Gagner made it 1-0 at 7:03 of the first period with a deflection three seconds after a Canucks power play expired.

Schmaltz tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 11:22 that ended Chicago's 2-for-43 slump over 13 games. But the Blackhawks failed to convert three straight power plays in the second period.
"We scored a nice power-play goal and then we lost momentum in the game with our ineffectiveness in the second period on a string of power plays," coach Joel Quenneville said. "It slows us down."
Vanek put the Canucks ahead 2-1 from the slot 13:00 into the second period, one-timing a behind-the-back pass from Gagner from behind the net.
Gagner made it 3-1 at 1:27 of the third period with a slap shot after a cross-ice pass from Vanek out of the corner.
"I've played with [Vanek] a lot," Gagner said. "When you add [Boeser] into the mix, he finds so much open ice, he creates so many chances with how he handles the puck and shoots the puck. Hopefully we can build off of that one."
Vanek scored his 12th goal of the season with 3:31 left to make it 4-1 after a backhand pass from Boeser behind the net. Vanek returned the favor with 1:25 left, setting up Boeser with a drop pass in the slot for a 5-1 lead.

"Pucks going through us down low like Swiss cheese," Quenneville said. "It was too easy."
Hartman scored with nine seconds remaining to make it 5-2.

Goal of the game

Vanek's goal 13:00 into the second period.

Save of the game

Forsberg's save on a Vanek shot 3:05 into the first period.

Highlight of the game

Vanek's setup on Boeser's goal with 1:25 left in the third period.

They said it

"I have to play way better than that and inspire with more big saves to get the offense going." -- Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg
"It's one win for us, which is important, and one big night for our line. But we need to win a lot more games. Hopefully we can keep our momentum going here." -- Canucks forward Thomas Vanek

Need to know

Chicago center Artem Anisimov left midway through the first period with an upper-body injury. "We'll know more later tomorrow but he might miss some time," Quenneville said. … The Canucks dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards for a second straight game, with defenseman Alex Biega taking shifts on the fourth line.

What's next

Blackhawks: At the Edmonton Oilers on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SN1, SNE, SNO, SNP, NBCSCH, NHL.TV)
Canucks:Host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, FS-W, NHL.TV)