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Canucks aim to extend hot streak against 'Canes

Dec 9, 2013 - 4:22 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Vancouver Canucks try to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games when they host the Carolina Hurricanes in Monday's interconference battle at Rogers Arena.

Vancouver earned its fourth consecutive win in Sunday's home triumph against Colorado. It's the second four-game winning streak of the season for the Canucks, who also went 4-0 from Oct. 22-28.

The Canucks last won five in a row during a six-game tear from March 19-28 of last season.

Mike Santorelli led the way in Sunday's 3-1 victory against the visiting Avalanche, recording two goals and an assist to help Vancouver improve to 2-0 on its current five-game homestand. The Canucks are 7-5-3 on home ice this season.

Vancouver led 1-0 after the first period and expanded its cushion to 3-0 after scoring twice in the early stages of the third.

Ryan Kesler posted his team-leading 15th goal of the season just 1:32 into the final period and Santorelli made it 3-0 at the 7:17 mark. Santorelli has eight goals in 32 games this season after posting a total of 11 markers over 94 contests during the previous two campaigns.

"If you want to be successful in this league, you've got to be able to hold onto leads, and tonight we did it the right way," Santorelli said. "We wanted to come out strong and not look at the time, and that's what we did."

Roberto Luongo stopped 28-of-29 shots to improve to 14-8-5 this season. Backup Eddie Lack could give Luongo a rest tonight with the Canucks playing on back- to-back days.

While Vancouver takes aim at a fifth straight victory on Monday, the Hurricanes will try to extend their season-best winning streak to four games. Carolina has notched three straight positive decisions against Washington, Nashville and Carolina, giving the 'Canes five victories over their past seven games.

After earning a 5-2 road win Thursday against the Predators, the Hurricanes returned home to beat the San Jose Sharks by a 5-3 count on Friday. Rookie Elias Lindholm capped a three-point night by scoring the go-ahead goal with six minutes remaining in the third period to help Carolina down the Sharks.

Lindholm, the fifth overall pick of last summer's draft, had gone five straight games without a point before posting a goal and two assists on Friday. The outburst doubled his career point total, giving the 19-year-old Swede six points on three goals and three assists in 18 games.

Jordan Staal, Riley Nash and Jay Harrison each had a goal and an assist, while Eric Staal scored the other goal for the Hurricanes. Cam Ward made 22 stops for Carolina in the win.

"The nice thing the guys are learning if they just stay the course and play the game the right way, you're going to get certain results consistently," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said.

Carolina will try to stay hot on the road, as the club is beginning a four- game swing on Monday. The 'Canes, who also are set to visit Edmonton, Calgary and Phoenix during this trip, are 6-6-1 on the road this season.

The Hurricanes have not fared well in Vancouver in recent years, losing five straight at Rogers Arena. Carolina hasn't won in British Columbia since it recorded a 4-1 decision over the Canucks on Oct. 15, 1999.

Vancouver has won two of three and three of the last five overall encounters in this series.