ST. PAUL, Minn. (Reuters) — Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat and Troy Stecher each scored in the second period, and Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves as the Vancouver Canucks gained a 4-1 win over the host Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Horvat added an empty-net goal in the third period for the Canucks, who have won two straight and nine of their past 11 games to stay in the thick of the top-heavy Pacific Division.
Markstrom made a series of key saves with Vancouver nursing a 3-1 lead late in the third period. He made 12 saves in the stanza.
Pettersson opened the scoring with a power-play goal near the midway point of the second period. Pettersson wasn’t marked in front of the net and deflected defenseman Quinn Hughes’ point shot for his 21st goal of the season.
Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno tied the score at 11:58 of the second period. Luke Kunin’s shot produced a rebound by Markstrom, with Foligno batting the puck out of the air as he crashed to the net for his fourth goal in as many games and his eighth of the season.
Horvat replied 13 seconds later to restore the Vancouver lead. Tanner Pearson’s shot was deflected by Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, which prevented goaltender Devan Dubnyk from making a clean save. Horvat cashed in the rebound.
Before the period was done, Stecher’s third goal of the season gave Vancouver a 3-1 lead. After eluding a couple of checks, J.T. Miller sent a pass to Stecher at the right point, and the defenseman wristed a shot past the goalie at 13:23.
Horvat scored into an empty net with six seconds remaining to cap the scoring.
Dubnyk made 26 saves for Minnesota, which has lost three straight and has just four wins in the last 12 outings (4-7-1).
—Field Level Media
