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Burrows scores twice as Canucks keep rolling

Mar 4, 2009 - 7:02 AM VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- Alexandre Burrows has plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Hours after agreeing to terms on a new contract extension, Burrows netted a pair of goals to lead the Vancouver Canucks to their third straight win, a 3-2 victory over the slumping Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

"Starting with the contract, I think we're very happy that it got done," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "I know that Alex wanted to continue his career here in Vancouver and both parties made some concessions and they found a way to come to an agreement. I think, for our team, that's excellent. He came over tonight and he played a real solid game."

Pavol Demitra and Steve Bernier scored 28 seconds apart in the second period and captain Roberto Luongo made 17 saves for the Canucks, who overcame an early two-goal deficit en route to their 11th win in 13 contests.

Dan Fritsche and defenseman Marek Zidlicky both scored in the opening session and All-Star Niklas Backstrom stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who have lost four consecutive games.

"I think we have to look at the tape of what we're doing wrong because we played a good first and third (period), and we need to play all three periods like that," said Backstrom, who signed a four-year, $24-million contract earlier in the day.

Burrows, who agreed to a four-year extension before the game, started the comeback at 9:57 of the first period just three seconds after Vancouver's power play had expired. The 27-year-old deflected Willie Mitchell's shot from the right point past Backstrom.

"I'm playing on a good team that has a chance to win a Stanley Cup and that's what you want as a young boy and as a hockey player," Burrows said. "That's my second dream after being in the NHL. Now it's win a Stanley Cup. That's what I'm going to work on."

"I think it was a great move for the team to retain a guy like that," Luongo said of Burrows' extension. "He's a big part of our team."

Demitra leveled the contest at 2-2 with 2:04 remaining in the middle session, and Bernier forced a turnover in front of the net and scored to give the Canucks the lead just 28 seconds later.

"We played good," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "Take out five, six minutes of it and it's fine. You look at the third. We got caught once and they scored."

Burrows provided some breathing room with 6:57 left in the third period, tucking a backhander between the pads of Backstrom to make it 4-2. It was Burrows' 18th goal of the season.

"What a great play by the twins," Burrows said of his second goal, which was assisted by the Sedin brothers. "It started deep in our end and just followed up and (Daniel) made a great play to (Henrik) and he was so patient.

"I don't know how he saw me coming from behind him, but he did and perfect saucer right on my tape and I was in full stride. So he put it right there and I just had to put it in."

Henrik Sedin collected two assists for Vancouver, which has won six home games in a row.