Buium has goal, assist in debut, Canucks edge Devils

NEWARK, N.J. -- Zeev Buium had a goal and an assist in his debut with the Vancouver Canucks in a 2-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Sunday.

It was the first game for the Canucks without defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was traded to the Minnesota Wild on Friday for Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Buium had two shots on goal in 19:50 of ice time, playing a key role on the power play that finished 2-for-3.

"I think it all clicked pretty easily," Buium said. "I think [defenseman partner Tyler Myers] was unbelievable to me throughout the whole game. I think there's moments where you see a little bit of a new guy and a new team, but I think it came pretty easy and it was nice to get the win."

Rossi and Ohgren also each made his Canucks debut Sunday. Rossi, who played in his first game since Nov. 11 following a lower-body injury, had one shot on goal in 18:16 of ice time. Ohgren had one shot on goal in 11:39.

"Zeev's got confidence," Vancouver coach Adam Foote said. "He's so young and he has swag ... you need to have it to be able to run a power play like that and he has it. [Rossi] does his job and plays it the right way.

"Ohgren's got speed and the power is going to come. It's going to be interesting to see where he's at in a few years with that speed and strength."

Jake DeBrusk scored, Conor Garland had two assists, and Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for Vancouver (12-17-3), which won for the second time in eight games (2-5-1).

"I feel like New Jersey outplayed us tonight," DeBrusk said. "We fed into their game, but I liked what I saw out of my centerman (Rossi). He was fast, quick and he was looking for me."

Luke Hughes scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 13 saves for the Devils (18-14-1), who have alternated wins and losses the past four games, including a 4-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.

New Jersey held a 26-15 shot advantage; 8-1 in the third period. The Devils are now 1-4-0 in the second of back-to-back games this season.

"We actually played pretty good today," Hughes said. "We had a lot of zone time but couldn't convert it into goals. It's aggravating ... we couldn't score."

DeBrusk gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal at 1:01 of the first period off a rebound at the right post.

Buium made it 2-0 on another power-play goal at 6:48 when his cross-ice dump-in from the left face-off circle deflected off the stick of Brenden Dillon just outside the right post and into the net.

"I saw [Brock Boeser] coming through the middle and then I overshot it a little bit," Buium said. "But the hockey gods are on my side today. I think when you're a guy who wants to produce and help the team, it's nice to kind of get a goal early and it's nice to see our power play click. But I think the biggest thing is we got the win and hopefully we kind of take this with some momentum."

Vancouver denied New Jersey on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:18 with Myers (interference) and Kiefer Sherwood (closing hand on puck) serving minor penalties.

Demko made four saves during the penalty kill, including a left pad stop against Nico Hischier on a one-timer from the right face-off circle at 14:01 and a chest stop against Connor Brown at 14:44.

"He's incredible," Buium said of Demko. "It's pretty cool to see a guy like that so laser-focused ... nothing fazes him. It's just one game with him, but he's a San Diego (born) boy, and I've always tagged along through his career. It just gives the group and yourself confidence knowing that you have him back there."

Luke Hughes cut the deficit to 2-1 at 4:02 of the second period on a wrist shot from the high slot off a back pass from Jesper Bratt.

"We need to move our legs and be good on the forecheck so we can create some offense," Hischier said. "We need to simplify the game, dump pucks in. That's where the forecheck starts."

NOTES: Buium, 20, became the first defenseman with at least two points in his first period with the team and the youngest Vancouver defenseman with a point in his team debut since Quinn Hughes (one assist on March 28, 2019, at 19 years old). ... Bratt's assist was his 476th career point, tying Scott Niedermayer for sixth place in Devils/Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies history.