by MATTHEW SEKERES , The Globe and Mail

The Vancouver Canucks - ad hoc lineup and all - put on a suffocating display against the Colorado Avalanche, shutting out the Western Conference leaders 3-0 behind 18 saves from backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft. The former Maple Leafs backstop was yanked from a 7-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday - Vancouver's worst defeat of the young NHL season, both in margin and goals allowed - after permitting four goals on 22 shots.

But Raycroft was in no danger of a repeat against the punchless Avalanche, and helped the Canucks improve to 2-1 without injured captain Roberto Luongo (fractured rib) by registering his first blanking since November 2007.

The victory shrunk Colorado's lead in the Northwest Division down to six points ahead of the second-place Canucks , who improved to 8-7.

Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler each had a goal and an assist, while Tanner Glass added an insurance tally - the first of his career - midway through the third.

The Avalanche - 28th in the league last season - have been the NHL's biggest surprise through 15 games, posting a 10-3-2 mark despite playing 11 contests away from the Pepsi Center.

The team finished a stretch yesterday where it played 11 of 13 on the road, and had garnered points in 10 straight games before weekend losses in San Jose and Vancouver.

The Avs have burst out of the gate with a rookie management duo of GM Greg Sherman and head coach Joe Sacco, and is also the first NHL club to open a season with two 18-year-olds since the 1995-96 Winnipeg Jets.

But the kids - centres Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly - weren't all right last night. In fact, they were barely noticeable. Ditto the rest of their teammates, who barely tested Raycroft.

The visitors managed just 13 shots through two periods, and had few scoring chances after the first half of the opening stanza. They didn't record their first shot on net of the third period until past the midpoint, seconds after O'Reilly hit a post.

In goal, Craig Anderson came off an October where he set league records for wins (10) and games (14), and could only be faulted on one goal last night.

The free-agent acquisition headlines most statistical categories for goalies, and started his 15th consecutive game last night, making him the first Avalanche goalie to do that since Patrick Roy in 1999.

The Canucks played without six forwards - the temptation is to say "regular forwards" but given the infirmary these days, it's tough to discern who is "regular" anymore - despite the fact that Alex Burrows and Kyle Wellwood regained good health and made their returns to the lineup.

The situation is so dire that the team has dipped into its deep pool of defencemen and is using rearguard Aaron Rome on the wing, and is giving regular ice-time to the obscure likes of Mario Bliznak and Glass.

Yesterday, the injury predicament worsened when rookie Michael Grabner, who has five points in nine games, was scratched with an undisclosed ailment.

It is unclear whether the young Austrian can return for a home game against the New York Rangers tomorrow.

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