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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- In order to make the NHL playoffs, the
Vancouver Canucks know you need to start strong and finish strong.
In the 5-2 victory Monday night over the Minnesota Wild, the Canucks
did both.
The Canucks scored twice in the first five minutes, then broke a
tie and scored the final three goals in extending Minnesota's
season-long losing streak to four games.
"Vancouver's got some guys that can jump and move, and if you
give them some room, they'll take advantage of it," Minnesota
forward Darby Hendrickson said. "You get away from your game just
a little bit, and all of a sudden you're behind."
Vancouver, which will play its next four games at home,
completed a four-game road trip, sandwiching victories at Montreal and
Minnesota around defeats at Toronto and Ottawa. The Canucks took a
five-point lead over third-place Edmonton in the Northwest
Division.
Scott Lachance put Vancouver ahead with an unassisted goal at
3:45 and Daniel Sedin got his 16th of the season just 36 seconds
later.
Midway through the first, Hendrickson's power-play goal cut the
lead in half and the Wild tied it early in the second on a
power-play goal by Scott Pellerin that beat Bob Essensa between the
pads.
According to the Canucks, keeping their cool when Minnesota tied
the game was a key to the victory.
"I didn't really feel we were in any danger," the Canucks'
Markus Naslund said. "We seemed like we were all pulling some
weight, but we knew we needed that third goal pretty quick."
Vancouver went ahead for good five minutes into the second when
Todd Bertuzzi flipped a harmless-looking shot toward the net and
the puck fluttered past the glove of goaltender Jamie McLennan.
"I think it changed directions on him," Naslund said. "It
doesn't matter how you get it. You never ask how they're scored."
Naslund scored his 36th of the season late in the second on a
shot over McLennan's right shoulder, and Brendan Morrison had a
short-handed goal early in the third.
Antti Laaksonen appeared to scored a short-handed goal for
Minnesota late in the third, but officials disallowed it, ruling
the net had been knocked off its stantions before the puck crossed
the goal line.
"To us, it looked like it was in," Pellerin said. "But they
have to be 100 percent sure or it's no goal, and I guess they
weren't sure."
Essensa finished with 15 saves for the Canucks, while McLennan
stopped 27 shots for Minnesota.
Game notes
Laaksonen sustained a cut upper lip when hit by McLennan's stick in the second. After getting 20 stitches, Laaksonen returned
for the third period. ... Naslund has played in 223 consecutive
games, the fifth-longest active streak in the NHL ... Twin Cities
native and USA Hockey president Walter Bush Jr. was honored prior
to the game. One of the original owners of the Minnesota North
Stars, Bush was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000 ...
Hendrickson, a former Canuck, has a career-high 12 goals.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Minnesota Clubhouse
RECAPS
Ottawa 3
NY Rangers 2
Vancouver 5
Minnesota 2
New Jersey 5
Florida 3
St. Louis 7
San Jose 2
Calgary 3
Dallas 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Minnesota goalie Jamie NcLennan bloodies his own teammate Annti Laaksonen.
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