Fowler scores as Ducks down Canucks

THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER — Cam Fowler scored a goal and added an assist as the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 Saturday night in NHL pre-season action.

Saku Koivu, Corey Perry, and Andrew Gordon also scored for the Ducks as they posted their first win in four exhibition outings.

Jonas Hiller, playing his first game since March 24 when Anaheim shut him down for the season due to recurring vertigo, picked up the win. He stopped all 21 shots he faced in the first two periods before Jeff Deslauriers blocked seven of eight shots in the third.

Kevin Connauton scored Vancouver’s (2-2) lone goal. Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider suffered the loss while going the distance.

Vancouver outshot the Ducks 29-23. Anaheim converted one of four power-play chances. Vancouver was good on one of two.

Anaheim led 1-0 after the first period and 4-0 after the second.

The Ducks dressed a predominantly veteran lineup that included the top line of 2011 Hart Trophy winner Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. The Canucks countered with a lineup comprised mainly of rookies and minor-leaguers, drawing criticism on Twitter before the game. Accordingly, Vancouver managed only two shots in the first 10 minutes, but the game was close until Anaheim scored two goals less than a minute apart late in the second period.

Koivu opened the scoring 15:29 into the game as he beat Schneider on a shot that appeared to be deflected. It was the only blemish against Schneider, who made a number of difficult saves in the first 20 minutes. Lubomir Visnovsky was foiled twice by the Canucks goaltender and also hit the post.

Fowler put Anaheim ahead 2-0 midway through the second period on another shot that hit a stick and fooled Schneider. It was only Anaheim’s second shot of the period. The goal came moments after Vancouver’s Todd Fedoruk, who is on a professional tryout contract, gave up the puck near the Anaheim blue-line instead of just chipping it into the zone. Until then, the Canucks had kept the puck in the Anaheim end, only to run into resistance from Hiller.

Perry increased Anaheim’s lead to 3-0 on a power play at 18:05 of the second period. Standing on Schneider’s doorstep, he tapped in Getlzaf’s pass from the side boards. Vancouver’s Niko Dimitrakos, who is also on a tryout, took a delay-of-game penalty for whacking the puck over the glass when it was in mid-air when it was well above his head.

Then 54 seconds later, Gordon wired a high shot over Schneider’s glove, giving the Ducks a four-goal cushion after 40 minutes.

Connauton finally put the Canucks on the scoreboard during a power play at 12:55 of the third period.

.Notes: Second-year pro Bill Sweatt played his first pre-season game for Vancouver after being sidelined with an undisclosed injury during the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C., earlier this month.