Canucks hold off Devils' comeback bids

Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller scored twice apiece Saturday night for the visiting Vancouver Canucks, who held off two rallies by the New Jersey Devils to earn a 6-4 win in Newark, N.J.

The two-goal game was the second in three games and the third of the season for Pettersson while Miller scored twice for the 24th time in his career and the first time since March 21, 2023.

Conor Garland scored in the waning seconds of the middle period immediately after the Devils pulled within a goal for the first time while Dakota Joshua added an empty-netter with 1:11 left for the Canucks, who improved to 1-1-0 on a season-long seven-game road trip.

Goalie Thatcher Demko made 21 saves.

Colin Miller had the first two-goal game of his nine-year career while Erik Haula and Brendan Smith also scored for the Devils, who trailed 3-0 and 5-2. Goalie Nico Daws recorded 36 saves.

The Canucks outshot the Devils 17-5 in the first before scoring on their first opportunity of the second, when Pettersson redirected Filip Hronek's shot from the blue line 41 seconds into the period.

J.T. Miller quickly extended the lead by scoring twice in a span of 1:04. After burying the rebound of a redirect by Brock Boeser at the 3:33 mark, Miller capped a 5-on-3 rush -- sparked when Devils center Dawson Mercer and right winger Tyler Toffoli collided deep in the Vancouver zone -- by firing a shot past Daws from the right faceoff circle.

Colin Miller scored his first goal at 6:43 of the second and Haula beat Demko with a wrister from the slot with 22.8 seconds left. But Garland's wraparound extended the lead back to two goals only 12.4 seconds later.

Pettersson scored his second goal 2:35 into the third, when he took a backhand pass from Boeser and shuffled the puck until beating Daws with the forehand.

Colin Miller began the Devils' late comeback attempt by sending a shot past a sliding Nils Aman and into the far corner of the net with 8:53 later. Smith cut the deficit to a goal once again 1:47 later with a sizzling slap shot from above the right faceoff circle.