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Canucks host Red Wings hoping for a 3rd straight win

Mar 16, 2013 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks look to win three straight for the first time in over a month as they continue their homestand on Saturday night against the Detroit Red Wings.

After halting a four-game slide (0-2-2) with Tuesday's shootout victory in Columbus, the Canucks set a season high for goals in a single game with Thursday's 7-4 triumph over the Nashville Predators.

That outburst came in the opener of a four-game homestand and with Vancouver having scored just eight goals in its previous five games, not including the credited shootout winner against the Blue Jackets.

Andrew Ebbett and Jannik Hansen both had a goal and two assists, while Henrik Sedin scored on a penalty shot. Maxim Lapierre, Mason Raymond and Alexander Edler also scored, while David Booth tallied into an empty net.

Roberto Luongo gave up four goals on 33 shots.

"It was good to capitalize on our chances and shut the door when we did," Booth said.

It was the Red Wings, though, that had the offense going when the clubs met for the first time this season back on Feb. 24. Detroit had its best offensive showing in 2013 with an 8-3 win at home.

Damien Brunner had two goals and a pair of assists, while Joakim Andersson scored twice for the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall added a goal and two assists each.

Daniel Sedin scored twice and Luongo yielded all eight goals on 28 shots for the Canucks, who have lost four of their last six at home versus Detroit.

The Red Wings certainly had some good fortune on Friday in a 3-2 overtime victory against Edmonton, getting the game-tying goal with 5:53 to play in regulation when Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry put a clearing attempt into his own net following a Kronwall shot during a power play.

Kronwall then hit Pavel Datsyuk with a short pass in overtime and the forward danced into the Edmonton zone and snapped home his first goal in 12 games to halt Detroit's three-game slide.

Valtteri Filppula also scored and Jimmy Howard made 30 saves as the Red Wings rallied from two goals down in the middle portion of a three-game tour through Western Canada.

"I don't think that's the recipe for success, but I think our guys really dug in and got competitive," said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock.

The Red Wings, who moved to 4-6-2 on the road this season, have 31 points and sit just one back of the St. Louis Blues for both second place in the Central Division and fourth overall in the Western Conference.