National Hockey League
New Jersey 3, Vancouver 2
When: 10:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 22, 2015
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Referees: Marc Joannette, Steve Kozari
Linesmen: Lonnie Cameron, Vaughan Rody
Attendance: 18268

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The New Jersey Devils believed they had something to prove after a couple of poor performances in the first two games of their current road trip.

It was mission accomplished Sunday night against the Vancouver Canucks.

Left winger Mike Cammalleri scored a goal and collected two assists as the Devils defeated the Canucks 3-2.

"It was important tonight we played to our identity, and we were happy with our compete level and commitment and work ethic, regardless of the result," Cammalleri said. "When you do that, you have a better chance of having a good result.

"We didn't like it the first couple games of this road trip."

Defenseman Andy Greene, on a power play, and left winger Adam Henrique also scored for the Devils (11-8-1), who ended a two-game losing streak.

It was the Devils' third win in six games. Coach John Hynes said his team needed to restore some confidence and break some bad habits that were starting to form.

"It was important for us to be able to do that," Hynes said. "Coming into the game, we wanted to play better than we have in the last couple of games and not let our play continue to go south.

"We did that tonight. Fortunately, we were able to find a way to win in the process."

The win was especially sweet for goaltender Cory Schneider, who made 36 saves. Schneider spent three years in Vancouver before being traded to New Jersey during the 2013 NHL draft.

"It still feels like a second home here," said Schneider, who won for the first time in Vancouver since the trade. "It feels very natural to be back here, but at the same time, it also feels good to win here and to beat them.

"As a group, we needed two points. It's a building I played in a lot and got very comfortable in. Tonight was one of those nights I felt good about my game. We hung on, blocking shots, getting sticks on passes at the end. It was a good group win."

Cammalleri knew Schneider was going to have a good game after going out for lunch with him Saturday.

"We were calling him the mayor because he was getting cat calls from the whole city everywhere we went," Cammalleri said. "It seems like he was quite appreciated here."

The final score flattered the Canucks. Right winger Radim Vrbata made it 3-2 when he scored with 0.6 seconds left. Vancouver was on a power play and playing with an extra attacker while their goaltender was on the bench.

The Canucks (8-8-6) couldn't build any momentum from a 6-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. They were 1-for-7 on the power play Sunday.

"Our power play could have got us back in the game," said Vancouver center Henrik Sedin, who scored a short-handed goal. "We had a lot of chances, just couldn't score."

The Canucks have just one win in their last six games (1-4-1) and now head out on a four-game road trip.

"It was a chance for us to get moving up in the standings and start feeling good about ourselves," Sedin said. "That didn't happen.

"I thought we played good enough to win, but it doesn't count."

Sedin's third-period goal cut New Jersey's lead to 2-1 and looked to put the wind back in Vancouver's sails. That changed when Henrique scored just over two minutes later.

Vancouver goaltender Jacob Markstrom wished he had that goal back.

"It comes down to timely saves and timely goals," said Markstrom, who stopped 19 shots. "I let in some goals when I needed to step up and make a save in the third not to go down two goals.

"It doesn't feel too good right now."

NOTES: RW Radim Vrbata returned to the Vancouver lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury. ... Canucks C Brandon Sutter, already out five games with an abdominal strain, will miss at least two more weeks. ... Vancouver D Ben Hutton is expected to miss two weeks with a foot injury. ... Canucks RW Jake Virtenen and D Taylor Fedun, recently called up from Utica of the AHL, were healthy scratches. ... The Canucks open a four-game road trip Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild. ... New Jersey D David Schlemko (lower-body injury) didn't play. ... Devils D Eric Gelinas returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for seven games. ... New Jersey LW Sefan Matteau started the game on the fourth line. ... Devils RW Jiri Tlusty was a healthy scratch. ... Devils RW Jordin Tootoo refused to comment on his allegations Vancouver RW Alex Burrows made remarks about Tootoo's personal life and family in a Nov. 8 game. ... The Devils return home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
Top Game Performances
 
New Jersey   Vancouver
Michael Cammalleri 3 Points Henrik Sedin 1
Michael Cammalleri 1 Goals Henrik Sedin 1
Michael Cammalleri 2 Assists Alexander Edler 1
Andy Greene 1 Power Play Goals Radim Vrbata 1
N/A Short Handed Goals Henrik Sedin 1
Cory Schneider .947 Save Percentage Jacob Markstrom .864
Cory Schneider 36 Saves Jacob Markstrom 19
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
New Jersey 22 3 1-5 7-8 16 34
Vancouver 38 2 1-8 4-5 10 29
Upcoming Games
  • Vancouver will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Canucks have a W/L % of .333 after a win and .385 after a loss.
  • New Jersey will play their next game at home against Columbus. The Devils have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .556 after a loss.