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Daniel Sedin leads Canucks past Wild

Nov 21, 2008 - 5:39 AM By Anthony Maggio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- Daniel Sedin snapped a tie midway through the third period as the Vancouver Canucks skated to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

Pavol Demitra recorded a goal and an assist, Steve Bernier also scored and Henrik Sedin notched two assists for the Canucks, who have won two straight and six of eight.

Curtis Sanford made 28 saves in his second start of the season in place of captain Roberto Luongo, who had started 14 consecutive contests. Sanford had not won since December 12, 2007 at Anaheim - a span of 12 games.

"This team has a lot of passion and a lot of character," Vancouver defenseman Willie Mitchell said. "Tonight, our character showed and we dug down, knowing it wouldn't be our best game. I'm happy for the team, happy for Curtis."

Captain Mikko Koivu netted both goals for the Wild, who had their three-game winning streak halted. Koivu registered his first multi-goal performance since November 13, 2007 at Calgary.

Minnesota fell to 4-2-0 in its last six games, with both losses coming against Vancouver. The Canucks received a 29-save performance from Luongo to record a 2-0 victory over the Wild on November 8.

"It's big," Wild defenseman Nick Schultz said. "These are the points you need. You've got to win at home if you want to get into the playoffs. We didn't get it done tonight, but we'll move on and figure out how to win Saturday."

Niklas Backstrom allowed more than two goals for just the fifth time in 16 starts this season and first in his last six outings. Minnesota's netminder had surrendered a total of just six tallies in his previous five games.

Daniel Sedin exposed Backstrom with 9:19 remaining in the third, beating the goalie with a wrist shot from the slot off a centering pass from Demitra.

"That (Sedin) line there, any mistake you make, they'll get a chance," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "They had a couple chances prior to the time he scored. You really have to be sharp, you need to have a good stick and sit in the passing lanes and things like that. As soon as you don't, they are getting the chances."

After a scoreless first, the teams traded goals twice in the middle session.

The Wild got on the board 7:16 into the second, when Koivu fired a shot under Sanford's glove as he skated through the left faceoff circle. But Bernier knotted the game five minutes later, beating Backstrom with a wrister from the slot after grabbing a rebound in the midst of traffic.

Koivu notched a shorthanded tally 2:22 later, but Minnesota again could not hold the lead.

Demitra, playing against his former team for the first time since leaving as a free agent over the summer, attempted to center the puck from below the end line on the left side of the net during a power play. However, the puck bounced off the back of Backstrom's right leg and into the net with 3:50 remaining, forging a 2-2 tie.

Demitra has scored in three straight games and notched points in four consecutive contests.

"I like to play against old teammates and prove they made a mistake that they don't want you back," Demitra said. "You want to play your best game and show what kind of player I am."

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault likes the way Demitra is fitting in on a line with the Sedin twins.

"They are coming along," Vigneault said. "They are passing a lot. I'd like to see them shoot a little bit more, but then you see how they score the third goal and you just say, 'Those are skilled players and it will work itself out.'"

Vancouver (5-0-1) is the only Northwest Division team without a regulation loss to a divisional foe.