Canucks at Wild
Life on the road is agreeing with the Vancouver Canucks, who will wrap up a five-game trip with the visit to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. The Canucks had dropped three in a row at home following a season-opening win, but they have turned things around and are 3-1-0 on the trek - all against Atlantic Division opponents.
Vancouver has been impressive in its last two victories, outshooting the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings by a staggering 78-43 margin. Sunday's 4-1 win in Detroit was the fourth regulation victory for the Canucks, who didn't notch their fourth regulation win until Nov. 29 a year ago. Preparing to begin a six-game homestand, Minnesota is off to a slow start and buried in last place in the Central Division despite a 4-2 win at Calgary on Saturday night. "We want to get over the .500 mark," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters. "If you want to be the best you can't be satisfied with mediocrity."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Vancouver, FSN North (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (4-3-1): While Sven Baertschi netted his first two goals of the season at Detroit, forward Derek Dorsett is on a tear with four tallies over the past three games. Dorsett had a career-high 12 goals in 2011-12 and hasn't notched more than seven goals since, but he already has five this season. "He's been amazing for us," Baertschi told reporters of Dorsett. "Right now it's just that feeling, whenever he has the puck and he's going down and shooting, it's just that feeling that that puck might go in."
ABOUT THE WILD (2-2-2): Rugged forward Chris Stewart registered 13 goals in 79 games with Minnesota last season, but he is off to a fast start with six tallies in the first six contests, failing to score in only one game. Charlie Coyle is sidelined with a broken leg and Zach Parise (undisclosed) again was a no-show at Monday's practice, but the Wild did receive good news on the injury front. Mikael Granlund, last season's leading scorer who has been out since the opener, said he hopes to play Tuesday.
OVERTIME
1. Canucks D Troy Stecher was forced to leave Sunday's game with an injury to his left leg.
2. Wild G Devan Dubnyk is 10-8-3 with a 2.56 goals-against average versus Vancouver.
3. Canucks F Daniel Sedin is 10 points shy of 1,000 for his career.