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Wild-Canucks Preview

Dec 12, 2009 - 6:23 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (14-13-3) at Vancouver (17-14-0), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Vancouver Canucks hope their longest home stretch of the season will help them climb up the Western Conference standings.

The Canucks look for a second consecutive victory while trying for a fifth straight win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Daniel Sedin recorded his third career hat trick as Vancouver (17-14-0) avoided a third straight loss with a 4-2 win over Atlanta on Thursday in the opener of an eight-game homestand after a 2-2 road swing.

Lumped in the middle of the conference standings, the Canucks have a major opportunity to make up some ground over the next two weeks at GM Place, where they are 11-4-0. It's especially important since they will play 14 straight on the road from Jan. 30-March 10, when the city of Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics.

"We all know what the standings are like and how tight it is, and we need some wins," said Vancouver captain Roberto Luongo, who made 22 saves against Atlanta after holding a captains-only meeting Thursday morning.

Vancouver has a good chance for a second straight win with Minnesota (15-13-3) in town.

Though only one point better than Minnesota, the Canucks are in the midst of a 7-0-1 stretch against the Wild and outscored them 7-3 in two victories this season. Vancouver also has earned at least one point in its last four home games against Minnesota.

Sedin has four of his six goals in his last two games and nine points in his last five. He's recorded four goals with eight assists in his last 14 games against the Wild.

He's coming off his best effort in nine games since missing 18 with a broken foot.

"Sometimes you have open nets and you don't score and sometimes these pucks go in, so it evens out, I guess," Sedin said.

Luongo, 13-10-0 with a 2.42 goals-against average this season, is 7-4-0 with a 2.07 GAA since missing six games with a broken rib. He's 10-11-4 with a tie and 2.66 GAA versus the Wild, but has allowed four goals on 71 shots while winning his last three starts against them.

Trying for a third straight victory, Minnesota also is doing its best to move up the standings.

Martin Havlat scored in overtime and added an assist as the Wild won 2-1 at Calgary on Friday to improve to 3-1 on a five-game trip.

"I think we played one of the best games we have played so far this year," Havlat said.

Havlat, the team's big free-agent acquisition in the offseason, has been an early disappointment with three goals and 10 assists in 25 games. The veteran winger, who scored 29 goals for Chicago last season, has one goal in his last six games against Vancouver.

Minnesota's Nicklas Backstrom made 22 saves Friday to improve to 13-10-3 with a 2.50 GAA on the season. He could be back in net after allowing three total goals in his last three starts.

Backstrom is 8-7-4 with a 2.36 GAA versus the Canucks, but has lost his last four starts against them, including both this season.

Backup Josh Harding is 2-3-0 with a 3.33 GAA on the season and 0-2-0 with a 4.60 GAA all-time against Vancouver.