While it wasn't another rout, the Vancouver Canucks scored two goals in the third period to topple the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minn.
Forward Markus Naslund led the way with a hat trick and Ryan Kesler netted the other goal for Vancouver (11-8-2).
Mike Brown (46) throws a punch at Aaron Voros in a 4-2 Canucks win.
(Jim Mone/Associated Press)
The Canucks, who easily handled Minnesota 6-2 last Friday at GM Place, remain the dominant team in the Northwest Division.
Vancouver, 6-0-2 in its last eight games, is an impressive 9-0-2 against Northwest opponents this season and also moved into a first-place tie with the Wild (11-8-2).
Like their first encounter, both teams played a physical brand of hockey with referees Greg Kimmerly and Mick McGeough calling a tight contest.
That's because Friday's game turned chippy over the final five minutes as Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard and Willie Mitchell got into a scrap.
Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund was also given a four-game suspension after his two-handed slash in retaliation to Mikko Koivu's elbow to the head broke a bone in the Wild forward's leg.
Perceiving that a few of teammates were victims of nasty play by the Canucks, Boogaard suggested he should check Naslund and Henrik and Daniel Sedin, whom he referred to as Pinky and the Brain — genetically enhanced lab mice in a cartoon.
"Our guys were focused and ready," Vigneault said. "They're intellectually pretty smart. They don't all watch Pinky and the Brain. They're focused on hockey, and that's what they did tonight."
Vancouver's Mike Brown, who had three points and 69 penalty minutes in 17 AHL games this season before being recalled Monday, fought Aaron Voros in the first period during Wednesday night's lone fight.
"For people that wanted to see something that wasn't good, clean hockey, it might have been a bit of a letdown," said Minnesota defenceman Sean Hill, who returned after completing a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL's drug policy.
"But we have to worry about winning games. We have to worry about getting two points."
Marian Gaborik scored both goals for the Wild, who lost for the first time in four home contests.
With the game tied 2-2 early in the third period, Naslund tipped in a shot by Daniel Sedin behind Wild goaltender Josh Hardin at 5:04. The recently hot Naslund now has scored six goals in four games after starting the season netting only four in his first 17 games.
Naslund put Minnesota away with 3:33 remaining when his perfectly executed 2-on-1 with Henrik Sedin beat Hardin, earning him his 11th career three-goal game.
"Any divisional game is so important," Naslund said. "You've got to be disciplined and try to take advantage when you get the chances. You know Minnesota is usually playing a good defensive game."
Vancouver, 7-2-1 on the road this season, scored twice in 22 seconds to grab a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Naslund opened the scoring on the power play at 6:27 as he deflected a ricochet off the end boards past Harding from the left post.
Kesler then scored his fourth goal of the season on a wraparound shot that found its way past Hardin.
Gaborik's one-timer by goaltender Curtis Sanford less than a minute later cut Vancouver's advantage to 2-1 before his power-play goal at 10:30 pulled Minnesota even.
"The games against Colorado, Calgary, Vancouver, they are always tight and physical," he said. "We just have to be extra ready for those games and try to win as many games as we can. Too bad we didn't win this one."
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