The last time the New York Rangers won a game in Vancouver, Wayne Gretzky was still playing in the National Hockey League.
Even then, it wasn't a shutout.
The 4-0 loss for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Tuesday night at Rogers Arena saw the Canucks give way to a third period takeover by the Rangers although Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»out shot their opponents 40-19.
This time, there was no Gretzkywho scored a hat trick the last time the Rangers won in Vancouver, going 6-3 in 1997but there was a Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers goalie who picked up his 36th career shutout.
There was also a Ryan Kesler.
Last season's Selke trophy winner returned from off-season hip surgery to rebuild the Canucks offensive play in his first appearance in the team's lineup since June.
Despite eight Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»power plays and Kesler hungry at the Rangers goalmouth, the netminding finesse of Lundqvist kept the scoreboard blank.
"You have to give their goalie credit," Kesler told reporters after the game. "We are going to have games like this. They were forcing us hard [on the power play] but I thought we had some pretty good chances. We just need to bury them. That's the difference in the power play. We get one early and put them back on their heels."
But Vancouver's one goal, early or late, didn't come at all Tuesday. Instead, Ranger Mike Rupp broke the scoreless game early in the third off a rebound from the left face-off circle at 2:22.
Roberto Luongo's gates flooded. Rangers took control.
Ryan McDonagh made it 2-0 on a short side shot on net at 9:57. Brian Boyle joined the short side gain after a three-on-one rush that made it 3-0 New York at 11:30. Marian Gaborik ended the game at 17:39 with a tip off a net-bound McDonagh pass.
"Everything changed when we scored the first goal," Lundqvist told reporters. "We built some confidence and they felt like they had to do more and it just opened it up for us and the second, third and fourth came as well."
The shutout victory marks the Rangers first win this season, putting them at 1-1-2. The Canucks fall to 2-3-1.
We should have had that game after two periods, Henrik Sedin told reporters. But we didnt. Thats tough to take.
Not making it any easier to take, Tuesday's game opened with tribute to former Canuck Rick Rypien who died this summer after succumbing to a life-long battle with depression.
With 20 of Rypien's family members in attendance, five of them on ice, the Canucks presented a video collage of the 27-year-old growing up with hockey through pictures and video footage.
The final shots showed Rypien celebrating a goal, arms waving in air as to say: get fired up.
This season, the Canucks have yet to do just that.
Twitter: @kimiyasho
