ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Richard Bachman stopped 43 shots in his second NHL game over two seasons and the Vancouver Canucks handed the Ducks a 2-1 defeat at Honda Center on Sunday night.
Bachman has been playing for the Canucks' American Hockey League team in Utica, N.Y., all season and was making his season debut with the parent team when regular backup Jacob Markstrom suffered an injury during a recent practice.
It was Bachman's first game with Vancouver since Oct. 30, 2015 when he beat Arizona. The journeyman backup played in that one game for the Canucks last season.
The Ducks (33-22-10) had their opportunities but couldn't break Bachman. An impotent power play has now scored only one goal in its last 35 chances after they're only two advantages Sunday went empty in the third period.
Goals by Bo Horvat and Markus Granlund were enough for Bachman, who was only beaten by Patrick Eaves. Eaves got his second goal in three games since joining the Ducks.
Horvat got the Canucks on the scoreboard at 14:09 of the first with his 20th goal of the season. The center stayed on the play, beating Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen to a loose puck after Bernier didn't cleanly secure Ben Hutton's shot from the blue line.
Vancouver doubled the lead in the second as Bieksa turned the puck over at the Anaheim blue line and Corey Perry was left alone to defend against an odd-man rush. Granlund kept the puck up the right side and put a wrist shot between Bernier's pads.
