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Canucks aim to keep point streak alive in Dallas

Dec 19, 2013 - 5:35 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Though they had their longest winning streak of the season halted last time out, the Vancouver Canucks can still earn a point for the ninth game in a row on Thursday night when they visit the Dallas Stars.

The Canucks carried a seven-game win streak into Tuesday night's matchup with the Minnesota Wild and lost a 3-2 decision in a shootout. The Wild's Jason Pominville scored the first goal of the tiebreaker in the third round, sneaking the disc past Roberto Luongo's glove side.

Josh Harding stoned Ryan Kesler on the Canucks' ensuing chance to seal the outcome.

Jannik Hansen and David Booth scored for the Canucks, who lost for the first time in the month of December and fell to 1-4 in shootouts this season.

Luongo stopped 30 shots in the setback.

"We (stink) in the shootout," said Canucks coach John Tortorella. "Yeah, we do. We gotta try different people I guess because we stink at it."

The Stars, meanwhile, are hoping to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game run from Nov. 13-17 after splitting a home-and-home series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Dallas lost the road portion 6-2 on Monday, but bounced back to record a 3-2 victory at home the following night.

Ray Whitney scored twice and Colton Sceviour had the game-winning goal with 2:52 left in the third period. He converted on a breakaway for his second career goal.

"Any time you score a game-winning goal it's pretty exciting, especially at the NHL level it's even more exciting and late in the third like that it's a great feeling for sure, I'm glad it went in," Sceviour said.

The 24-year-old scored his first career goal in his season debut on Saturday versus Winnipeg and Tuesday's tally came in his fourth NHL game.

Dan Ellis stopped 25-of-27 shots faced in giving No. 1 netminder Kari Lehtonen a breather.

Lehtonen is 2-3-2 with a 3.80 goals against average in seven games this month and is likely to get the start tonight. He is just 4-7-0 with a 3.10 GAA in his career versus the Canucks, but did stop 42 shots in a 2-1 road win on Nov. 17.

It was the Stars' second straight win over the Canucks and third in the past four meetings. However, they have lost five of seven at home versus Vancouver.

Luongo made 21 saves in the November loss, falling to 13-6-3 with a 2.14 GAA and two shutouts lifetime versus the Stars.