Wild at Canucks
Jockeying for the Northwest Division lead for much of the past week, the Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks meet for the fourth and final time on Monday in British Columbia. The Canucks defeated the Wild 2-1 at home on Feb. 12 and hold a 2-1-0 lead in the season series, but lost 4-2 in Minnesota on March 10 to surrender sole possession of the division lead. Vancouver won two of three since that game, while Minnesota is coming off sweeping a home-and-home series against Colorado. Both teams have 32 points, but the Wild hold the tiebreaker with 12 regulation/overtime wins to the Canucks' 10.
Niklas Backstrom allowed four goals against the Avalanche on Saturday but has won four of his last five starts for Minnesota, which is hopeful Josh Harding will return soon from setbacks caused by his multiple sclerosis. Roberto Luongo started the last three games for the Canucks after Cory Schneider allowed four goals in the loss to Minnesota. Luongo yielded five goals on 26 shots against Detroit on Saturday and has allowed a total of 21 goals in his last five starts. Schneider hasn’t won since March 2.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Wisconsin, Fox Sports North Plus, Sportsnet Pacific
ABOUT THE WILD (15-10-2): Defenseman Ryan Suter’s team-leading 23 points are already more than any Minnesota blue-liner recorded all of last season. Suter got off to a sluggish start with his new team (four assists in his first 10 games) after signing a 13-year, $98 million deal, but has only been held off the scoresheet once this month. He has five points in his last two games. Fellow offseason acquisition Zach Parise has settled in nicely as well, with eight points in eight games this month. Parise had two goals and an assist against Vancouver on March 10 Mike Rupp suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday and is day-to-day, joining Jason Zucker (concussion).
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (13-8-6): With Ryan Kesler sidelined long-term with a broken foot, Jannik Hansen is providing Vancouver’s secondary scoring. Hansen has nine points in eight games this month. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa recorded an assist against Detroit in his second game since returning from a groin injury. The Canucks are 12-4-4 with Bieksa in the lineup. Alex Burrows scored twice on Saturday to snap a 10-game goal drought, but Vancouver’s skid with the man advantage reached 11 contests when it failed to score on six opportunities against the Red Wings.
OVERTIME
1. Canucks captain Henrik Sedin, who scored in the last game against Minnesota, has 56 points in 71 career contests against the Wild.
2. Vancouver has won the Northwest Division in four consecutive seasons.
3. Minnesota is 5-7-1 on the road.
PREDICTION: Canucks 3, Wild 1