The Vancouver Canucks breathed life into their playoff hopes Sunday night by taking down the Anaheim Ducks with an impressive 2-1 victory and moving within six points of the final spot.

While netminder Richard Bachman received the majority of praise - posting a 43-save effort in his first start of the season - it was center Bo Horvat who quietly pushed his club forward once again.

The 21-year-old Horvat reached the first 20-goal season of his career by slipping behind the Ducks' defense and re-emerging to tap in a point shot from Ben Hutton.

His goal tally leads all Canucks skaters this season, as does his 45 points. But those aren't the only impressive aspects of the young pivot's surprising breakout campaign.

By getting his 20th, Horvat became only the eighth Canuck in nearly four decades to reach the plateau before turning 22, joining all-time greats like Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure.

Horvat also became the first Canuck to achieve the feat since veteran sniper Daniel Sedin did so back in 2000-01.

He may not be rolling through opposing defenses like some of the league's more high-profile young guns, but there's no question Horvat has quietly established himself as the face of the franchise in Vancouver.

And just in time, it seems, as he's owed a new contract before next season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer.

Considering all he's accomplished in 2016-17 - amid the disappointing production from high-profile acquisitions like Loui Eriksson - it's fair to assume Horvat will earn a pretty penny this summer.

And rightfully so.

The Sedins remain the most talented members of the Canucks' current roster. But for the first time in a long time, neither twin holds the crown of team MVP; that distinction rests uncontested with the club's 21-year-old sniper.

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DENVER- Paul Stastny scored his first goal against his former team, Jake Allen stopped 27 shots, and the St. Louis Blues ended a five-game skid by beating the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 on Sunday night.

Stastny got the Blues going with a power-play goal early in the first period, his first score in 11 career games against Colorado. He spent eight seasons with the Avalanche before leaving for St. Louis.

Kyle Brodziak and Patrik Berglund also scored for the Blues, who moved into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Allen was shaken up with just more than three minutes remaining when Gabriel Landeskog's wrist shot appeared to hit him awkwardly. He was checked out by trainers before finishing off his third shutout of the season.

The last-place Avalanche were blanked for the 11th time this season.

Berglund scored on a power play in the second to give the Blues a 3-0 lead. It ended a seven-game goal drought and also marked his first since signing a five-year extension worth $19.25 million on Feb. 25.

Allen made one big save after another, especially in the second when he thwarted Rene Bourque's breakaway attempt by stopping the shot with his chest. With around 30 seconds left, he stopped another shot by Bourque.

This was the second half of a back-to-back for the Avalanche. They were routed 6-1 in Winnipeg, leading Landeskog to say the squad looked ''like a junior C team.''

Once again, the Avalanche came out sluggish in dropping their fourth straight game.

Stastny and Brodziak scored 1:37 apart in the first to help the slumping Blues get back on track. Stastny's goal was set up off a precision pass by Jaden Schwartz from down low. Stastny celebrated by pumping both his gloves. He still ranks ninth on the Avalanche's all-time points list (458).

Brodziak added another goal by firing in a shot after an Avalanche turnover near the net.

Jeremy Smith was in goal a night after Calvin Pickard was pulled against the Jets after allowing five goals in 29 minutes.

Forward Sven Andrighetto made his first appearance with the Avalanche. He was acquired in a deal with Montreal, but didn't join the team in Winnipeg as he waited for a visa.

He was thrown ''right in the fire'' - coach Jared Bednar's description - by being paired on the second line with Matt Duchene and Mikko Rantanen. Andrighetto turns 24 on March 21 and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

NOTES: Blues D Jordan Schmaltz made his NHL debut. ... LW Zach Sanford was a scratch. He was acquired as part of the recent trade that sent Kevin Shattenkirk to Washington. ... Schwartz appeared in his 300th career game. He played at Colorado College in nearby Colorado Springs.

UP NEXT

Blues: At the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday to wrap up a three-game trip.

Avalanche: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

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You could say Richard Bachman is an opportunist.

In the second game of a back-to-back, the Vancouver Canucks turned to the 29-year-old on Sunday in Anaheim, and he stepped up in a big way, turning aside 43-of-44 Ducks shots to preserve the victory.

A 43-save performance is a feat for any netminder, but considering this was Bachman's first NHL start since Oct. 30, 2015, you have to tip your cap.

Since the 2015-16 season, Bachman's started 61 games for Vancouver's affiliate, the Utica Comets, but Sunday marked just his second-ever start with the big club.

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Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau cooked up an interesting alteration to his lines before the club's Sunday night tilt against the San Jose Sharks. And it seems the move paid off.

With star winger Zach Parise set to return to the lineup, Boudreau switched things up and slotted the longtime left-winger in on the right side with veteran pivot Eric Staal. The change worked, as Parise and Staal scored all three of Minnesota's goals in the Wild's victory over the Sharks, Parise netting the game-opener, and Staal adding a game-winner and an empty-netter.

As it turns out, Boudreau was gambling on a hunch, moving Parise to Staal's right side because he thinks Staal looks to his right more than his left, according to the Star Tribune's Michael Russo.

"These are just stupid things I think at home," the veteran coach told Russo after the Wild's victory.

Needless to say, it was a risky move.

"I've never played right wing in my life," Parise told Russo.

For his linemate Chris Stewart, the transition didn't look quite as seamless. The winger said he and Parise ended up on the same side a few times during the game, Parise understandably reverting back to his usual habits.

And yet, the biggest mix-up didn't come from the position changes but from Stewart himself, when he accidentally popped Parise in the face during a net-front scrum.

All part of the plan, apparently.

"It's chippy at the front of the net, so I just was making sure he was into the game," Stewart told Russo cheekily. "I thought I'd wake him up."

Parise was sidelined for the Wild's last three games while dealing with the mumps, as was teammate Jason Pominville. The latter forward got in on the scoring in his first game back as well, assisting on Parise's first-period goal.

With the win, the Wild returned to the top of the Western Conference with 90 points on the season.

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Watching his Buffalo Sabres blow a 3-0 lead to the Pittsburgh Penguins probably ruined his day, but Jack Eichel added an impressive accolade to his young resume in the process.

Eichel extended his active point streak to a career-long 10 games with his goal in the first period; it was his 16th of the season and 40th of his career. That may seem a tad irrelevant, but he's only 20-years-old, and only a select few players in the history of the Sabres franchise have enjoyed such a prolific start to their careers.

Rick Martin's and Gilbert Perreault's numbers were retired by Buffalo, while Pierre Turgeon, Phil Housley, and Dave Andreychuk all went on to amass 1,000-point careers. Not a bad list.

Eichel also became just the 10th American-born player to score 40 goals before turning 21, and the first to do so since Patrick Kane in 2009.

Despite falling on hard times again this season, it appears the future of the Sabres is indeed in good hands with Eichel at the helm.

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It's no secret that Pittsburgh Penguins defender Justin Schultz has vastly improved since moving to the Steel City. But the 26-year-old's recent play has proved he's far more than a much-improved gamble.

With Kris Letang sidelined and the rest of Pittsburgh's blue line consisting of trade deadline patchwork, Schultz has emerged as a bona fide No.1 option.

He proved that again Sunday night as the Penguins fought back from a 3-0 first-period deficit to eventually top the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Schultz was the catalyst for his club's resurgence on the evening, posting a team-leading three points (one goal, two assists).

The former Edmonton Oiler started things off with a goal midway through the second, getting Pittsburgh on the board and giving the struggling team life. Schultz then fed Evgeni Malkin for a one-timer a few minutes later to make things interesting.

Finally, after his mates helped out with the tying goal, the rearguard stumped the Sabres with three minutes left in the tilt, faking a slap shot and dishing to Conor Sheary for the game-winner.

With three more points in the bag, Schultz's season total now stands at 44 - level with Dustin Byfuglien and just one below Duncan Keith.

It's impressive company to keep, and even more so considering Schultz has played five fewer games than both veterans.

Of course, his success can be largely attributed to Pittsburgh's dominant offense, but that crutch doesn't seem quite as convincing when comparing Schultz to names like Keith, who also have plenty to work with up front (teammates Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have combined for 41 points during the Chicago Blackhawks' recent 13-game stretch of dominance).

Overall, many believe the Penguins' hopes for a second straight championship hinge on how Letang fares in his return from injury, as he's widely considered the only defender capable of filling Pittsburgh's No. 1 role.

However, that may not be the case.

Heading into the home stretch of the season, Schultz has proven to be one of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the league. And at this point, he might just be the most important piece of Pittsburgh's blue line.

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CALGARY, Alberta - Sean Monahan had a goal and an assist and the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Sunday for their seventh straight victory.

Brian Elliott made 33 saves for his sixth straight win. Elliott is 7-0-1 since his last regulation loss on Feb. 5 when he made 28 saves during a 4-3 loss in New York to the Rangers.

Michael Frolik, T.J. Brodie, Micheal Ferland and Kris Versteeg also scored for the Flames.

John Tavares and Jason Chimera scored for the Islanders. They are 3-2-1 on a nine-game trip.

Thomas Greiss started in net for the Islanders and stopped 17 of 21 shots in the first period before being replaced by Jean-Francois Berube, who finished with 15 saves.

Greiss stopped the first 16 shots before the Flames scored four goals in a 4:40 span late in the first.

Frolik started things off when he shoveled a sharp-angle shot past Greiss at 14:56. Brodie banked the puck off the New York goalie's leg from behind the net at 16:28.

Ferland took a pass from Monahan 42 seconds later and fired a quick shot past Greiss. Monahan then converted a feed from Johnny Gaudreau to finish off a 3-on-1 with 23.3 seconds.

The Islanders rebounded with a better effort in the second period, but were only to score one goal when Tavares swatted a rebound past Elliott.

Versteeg added an insurance goal at 6:58 of the third, and Chimera replied for the Islanders at 11:32.

Notes: Islanders D Johnny Boychuk sat out with a sore foot after blocking a shot during a 2-1 shootout loss in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Friday night. ... D Travis Hamonic suited up for his second straight game with the Islanders after missing the previous 24 outings with a lower-body injury. ... D Matt Bartkowski had an assist on Versteeg's goal for his first point in his eighth game with the Flames.

UP NEXT

Islanders: At Edmonton on Tuesday night.

Flames: Host Montreal on Thursday night.

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Wait, what?

Martin Jones made one of the strangest saves you'll ever see Sunday versus the Minnesota Wild, as Chris Stewart's one-timer found its way into the back of his jersey.

Predictably, confusion ensued, but it all worked out for Jones as he manged to stay in front of the goal line.

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It's safe to say that Josh Ho-Sang's NHL career hasn't gotten off to an ideal start.

The oft-maligned New York Islanders rookie likely hit a new low on Sunday night, as he and teammate Travis Hamonic collided during the third period of a 4-1 blowout and gifted the Calgary Flames a golden opportunity to extend the lead with a three-on-one break.

Calgary did just that, with Kris Versteeg netting the Flames' fifth goal of the game. Not the Islanders' finest work, to say the least.

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The Calgary Flames came to play Sunday.

Squaring off versus the New York Islanders, the Flames scored four goals in just under five minutes, capped by Sean Monahan's 21st of the season coming off a gorgeous set-up from linemate Johnny Gaudreau.

It was a dominant period in every sense of the word for Calgary, out-shooting the Isles 21-8. Michael Frolik, T.J. Brodie and Micheal Ferland were the other contributors to the Flames' offensive blitz.

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