NEWARK, N.J. – The Vancouver Canucks defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Sunday, with newly acquired defenseman Zeev Buium making a significant impact in his debut. Buium, who joined the Canucks following a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Wild, not only scored a goal but also contributed an assist in the victory.

The game marked the first appearance for Buium since being traded to Vancouver. Liam Ohgren, another player acquired in the trade, also debuted for the Canucks. Buium was also part of the return from the Wild, along with center Marco Rossi, who returned after missing a month because of injury.

Vancouver got off to a quick start when Jake DeBrusk scored just 61 seconds into the game. DeBrusk's early goal added to the recent struggles of Devils' goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who had previously allowed three goals on the first seven shots he faced in a prior game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Markstrom finished the game with 13 saves after allowing two goals on eight shots in the first period.

Thatcher Demko was solid in net for the Canucks, stopping 25 of 26 shots. The only goal Demko allowed was scored by Luke Hughes, who provided the sole offense for the Devils.

The Devils were playing their third game in four days and have struggled since Jack Hughes' injury, losing 10 of 16 games. The game was initially anticipated as a matchup between Quinn Hughes and his brothers Jack and Luke, but Quinn was traded to Minnesota on Friday night, and Jack is currently sidelined due to finger surgery.

The Canucks struggled to generate shots in the third period, registering only one shot on goal.

Looking ahead, the Canucks continue their five-game Eastern Conference road trip with a game against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. The Devils will begin a two-game Western road trip on Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.