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BOX SCORE
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Peter Schaefer picked the perfect time to break out of a scoring slump.
The 22-year-old rookie scored Vancouver's first two goals Friday night -- his first in 13 games -- as the Canucks beat Anaheim 8-1 and grabbed a share of ninth-place in the Western Conference.
|  | | Mighty Ducks goalie Guy Hebert goes over the top of Vancouver's Harold Druken. Hebert was pulled late in the second period. |
"We've had a lot of chances each night and tonight was just one of those nights where everything we touched went in," Schaefer said. "This is our biggest game so far and it keeps on getting bigger each game. The guys are staying positive, coming off a loss to San Jose, and we just have to keep working."
Vancouver, which had its largest margin of victory this season, improved to 6-1 in seven home games and moved into a tie with Anaheim with 76 points -- three points behind Phoenix.
It was just the Canucks' second home sellout.
Anaheim, playing its third game in four nights, lost its second straight. The Mighty Ducks have just one win in nine games north of the Canadian border, including a pair of losses in Vancouver.
Todd Bertuzzi also scored twice for the Canucks, who have seven games remaining. Anaheim has six left to play.
"It was probably the biggest game of the year for us and we didn't show up," said Anaheim defenseman Oleg Tverdovski, who finished minus-three for the game. "We got outbattled on every
inch of the ice. They were quicker, they were more desperate than us and I have no answer as to why that happened."
Schaefer ended a his drought with the only goal of the first period at 6:37, then added the eventual game-winner at 11:07 of the second. He matched his career high for points in a game with an assist on Mark Messier's 15th goal three minutes later.
"It was 1-1 and I think Felix kept us in the game," said Schaefer, who has 15 goals. "He had a lot of shots there for a while and the team responded and scored a bunch of goals after that."
Schaefer also assisted on Bertuzzi's second goal with 1:03 left.
Schaefer scored his first goal after scooping up a loose puck at center ice. He beat Kevin Haller down the right side before cutting hard through the crease and sliding the puck past Guy Hebert on the far side. Schaefer, who has 15 goals this year, scored for just the fourth time on home ice.
Paul Kariya tied it with his 38th goal just 27 seconds into the second, but Vancouver broke the game open with four unanswered goals to end the period.
Schaefer and Messier started Vancouver 's second-period surge before Matt Cooke and Andrew Cassels scored less than one minute apart to give the Canucks a 5-1 lead. Anaheim pulled Hebert after Cassels' goal in favor of Dominic Roussel.
"The bounces are starting to go our way," said Bertuzzi, who has 22 goals and six in five games. "We were getting our chances and they just weren't going in. They're going in at the right time now. It shows how confident we are in our game."
Markus Naslund converted a two-man breakaway with Trent Klatt at 3:44 of the third. Bertuzzi scored twice in the final three minutes to round out the scoring.
Felix Potvin made 17 saves for Vancouver, which outshot Anaheim 30-18.
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NHL Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
Vancouver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Pittsburgh 5
Atlanta 3
New Jersey 8
NY Islanders 2
St. Louis 5
Tampa Bay 1
Dallas 5
Chicago 1
Vancouver 8
Anaheim 1
San Jose 5
Phoenix 1
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