Coyotes 4 - 2 Canucks
Final
  for this game

Canucks aim to rebound against visiting Coyotes

Feb 26, 2013 - 4:19 PM (Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks hope to rebound from their most lopsided loss of the season on Tuesday night as they play host to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Taking aim at a third straight victory in the what was the finale of a four- game road trip, the Canucks were blasted by the Detroit Red Wings 8-3 despite a fast start.

Daniel Sedin scored twice during a three-goal first period and Chris Higgins also lit the lamp to give Vancouver a one-goal edge after 20 minutes, but Detroit tallied three power-play goals in the second period and another three at even strength in the final frame.

"Definitely not the outcome we were looking for," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. "We came out fairly well. We were making their (defense) turn, trying to play north-south real quick so to not give them any transition.

"It was 3-2 for us after the first period and after that it went sideways."

The Canucks gave up a season high in goals, surpassing a season-opening 7-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 19.

Henrik Sedin added two assists, while Roberto Luongo fought through 60 minutes of work and allowed all eight goals on 28 shots. It was Luongo's first loss in regulation this season, falling to 5-1-3 with a 2.11 goals against average and .916 save percentage.

Vancouver played without defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who suffered a strained groin in Friday's 1-0 win at Nashville, while forward David Booth also sat out because of illness.

The Coyotes wrap a three-game swing on Tuesday hoping to salvage a game on their trip through Western Canada. They had a two-game swing streak snapped with Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss in Edmonton prior to Sunday's 5-4 setback in Calgary.

Phoenix failed to finish strong in either game. It blew a two-goal lead versus the Oilers before allowing the Flames to score twice in the final 1:23 of regulation the following day. Calgary scored two goals 23 seconds apart to stun Phoenix.

"We stopped playing and you can't stop playing against those guys over there," forward Raffi Torres said.

Torres had two goals, while Nick Johnson and Michael Stone also lit the lamp. Mike Smith stopped 26-of-31 shots faced as the Coyotes fell to 4-2-1 in their past seven games.

Both Radim Vrbata (lower body) and Martin Hanzal (upper body) sat out the most recent loss and remain day-to-day.

The Coyotes and Canucks meet for the first of three encounters this season after splitting four contests in 2011-12. Phoenix is 3-0-1 in its past four in Vancouver.






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