Canucks open 2-game set with 3-1 win over Maple Leafs

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake Virtanen scored twice, leading the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night in the opener of a two-game set.

Bo Horvat also scored for Vancouver, providing a bit of a cushion with a goal midway through the third period.

Pierre Engvall scored for the Maple Leafs off an assist from Ilya Mikheyev.

Thatcher Demko stopped 32 shots for Vancouver. Michael Hutchinson made 24 saves for Toronto, which saw its four-game win streak halted. The Leafs had outscored their opponents 15-2 in that stretch.

The Maple Leafs were coming off a three-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers, including a 6-1 win on Wednesday.

The Canucks were playing without star centre Elias Pettersson, who left the morning skate with an upper-body injury Thursday and is considered day-to-day.

The teams meet again Saturday in Vancouver.

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