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VANCOUVER (AP) – Jan Hlavac scored twice as the Canucks beat the Devils 4-2 last night.
Mattias Ohlund and Brent Sopel also ended lengthy scoring slumps with goals for Vancouver.
Hlavac converted his own rebound early in the second period, then added the insurance goal when he pounced on a loose puck in the crease with just under four minutes left to play.
Sopel added an assist and Peter Skudra made 32 saves for the Canucks, who won consecutive games for the first time since mid-November.
Ohlund opened the scoring at 8:04 of the first period with his first goal in 34 games.
Henrik Sedin spotted him streaking down the left wing after a bad New Jersey line change and Ohlund walked around Brian Rafalski at the blue line before wristing a shot past Martin Brodeur high on the glove side.
Hlavac put Vancouver up 2-0 at 2:12 of the second period and Sopel made it 3-0 just over two minutes later with his first goal of the season.
Sopel, sent in on a 2-on-1 down low by Trevor Linden, pulled Brodeur off the post with a fake pass and roofed a high wrist shot past him on the short side.
Brodeur made three dramatic saves during a scramble in front of the Devils’ net shortly after the third Vancouver goal, but was replaced after the next whistle by rookie Jean-Francois Damphousse.
The Devils responded with two goals before the period ended.
Skudra, making just his fifth start in the Vancouver net, made four close-range stops against Jason Arnott during a 45-second span in the third period to keep the Canucks up by a goal.
Hlavac sealed the win when he pounced on a loose puck. Damphousse made the initial save off Andrew Cassels, but Hlavac beat everyone to the puck after it trickled behind the New Jersey goaltender.
Brodeur, who shut out Pittsburgh in his last start, allowed three goals on 12 shots.