Vancouver @ New Jersey preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2017 ) Vancouver 2, New Jersey 3

The Vancouver Canucks continued their impressive play away from home as they moved to 5-0-1 in their last six road games with Saturday's 3-2 overtime victory in Calgary. Vancouver looks to make it three straight wins to begin its six-game road trip when it visits the New Jersey Devils on Monday afternoon.

“I just think we’ve realized how we need to play to be successful,” Canucks defenseman Alex Edler told reporters after scoring the overtime winner on Saturday. “We need everyone, every night, and we need to execute our system and do that for 60 minutes.” Edler has recorded four goals and seven assists in 16 games since returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss a month of action and leads the Canucks in average ice time (23 minutes, 5 seconds) this season. New Jersey has won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 13 and 15 as rookie Mackenzie Blackwood made 37 saves to lead the team to a 2-0 victory over Carolina on Saturday. Pavel Zacha scored a short-handed goal with 36 seconds remaining in the second period to give the 22-year-old Blackwood all the support he needed as he posted his first NHL shutout.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), MSG Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (19-18-4): Jacob Markstrom has been the biggest reason for Vancouver’s recent climb back into playoff contention as the Swedish netminder surrendered fewer than three goals for the eighth straight game in Saturday’s win and has posted a 1.66 goals-against average and .943 save percentage while going 8-0-1 this month. Elias Pettersson scored his 19th goal of the season in the second period against Calgary, and his 39 points are 15 ahead of his closest competition in the rookie scoring race. “(Pettersson)’s got a great shot,” Markstrom reporters. “It doesn’t take many chances for him to score. It’s huge to have a guy like that. It’s confidence for the group.”

ABOUT THE DEVILS (14-16-7): Kyle Palmieri’s team-leading 19 goals this season put him on pace to eclipse his career high of 30, which he recorded in his first season with the Devils in 2014-15. Nico Hischier picked up an assist against the Hurricanes to give him 26 points - exactly half of the amount he totaled as a rookie last season. The reigning Hart Trophy winner who leads the team with 37 points, Taylor Hall will miss his third straight game Monday due to a lower-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Canucks LW Sven Baertschi returned from a concussion on Saturday and notched an assist in his first game since Oct. 24.

2. The Devils have recorded a league-low four road wins this season as they embark on a four-game trek after Monday’s contest.
3. Vancouver RW Brock Boeser will play in his 100th NHL contest on Monday.

PREDICTION: Canucks 4, Devils 1