Canucks top Wild, claim division lead

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Vancouver's Steve Bernier was checked out of the play by Minnesota's Cal Cutterbuck as Niklas Backstrom defended in the first period of Friday night's NHL game.

The slumping Canucks righted the ship for a night against the punchless Wild, ending a four-game slide and creeping into first place.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: December 6, 2008 - 9:47 AM

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VANCOUVER 2, WILD 1

Up next: at Nashville • 7 tonight • TV: Ch. 45 (830-AM)

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For the Wild's sake, it's a good thing it won't be seeing the Vancouver Canucks again until late January.

The Canucks might be only one point ahead of Minnesota for the top spot in the Northwest Division after Friday night's 2-1 victory, but the Canucks are heads and shoulders above the Wild when the two teams actually meet on the ice.

Vancouver, mired in a four-game losing streak, beat the Wild for the third consecutive time this season. In those games, the Wild has scored a total of three goals.

Friday, rookie goalie Cory Schneider, 22, only had to face 17 shots to win his first NHL game.

"There was nothing going on for us offensively," center Eric Belanger said. "They didn't give us much. In the first period and a half, we were chasing the puck everywhere."

The Wild started with some giddy-up, but after failing to take an early lead on a power play, it flatlined and lost for the fifth time in its past eight home games. The Wild was outshot 14-3 in the opening period, and during one stretch the Wild went 15 1/2 minutes without a shot.

"First period was not a good period for us," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "They had eight, nine chances to score. You can't show up against a good team, and a team that is intense, and not be prepared to jump on the ice and match their intensity."

The Wild was frustrated for a lot more reasons.

The Wild's power play entered on a 10-for-20 streak, yet it drew only 2 1/2 minutes worth of power-play time.

And it wasn't like the Canucks were squeaky clean. They were coming after the Wild after virtually every whistle, yet the Wild felt referees Dave Jackson and Wes McCauley let them get away with it.

"I have a hard time to accept their coaching staff always on top of the referees, always talking to them, always talking to them for any plays," Lemaire said. "I just feel at a time it pays off."

The most blatant noncall was when former Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell tripped 6-7 Derek Boogaard behind the net in the third period. Neither referee moved a muscle.

"Probably because it was Boogey," Belanger said.

"Maybe they didn't see it," Boogaard said, sarcastically.

Later, Mitchell came after Boogaard after being hit in the corner. Mitchell hit Boogaard high, then Darcy Hordichuk and Kevin Bieksa swooped in.

"Three guys pushing Boogaard and they're asking Boogaard to get out of there and not the other guys," Lemaire said.

Jackson and McCauley did see something. Boogaard got a 10-minute misconduct and roughing minor.

Every time the teams play, Boogaard has run-ins with his former teammate Mitchell.

Willie gets excited when I play for some reason against him," he said.

Said Mitchell: "It's the game within the game. [Boogaard] knows that, and it's a lot of fun to be a part of."

In the first period, Boogaard was nabbed for boarding Mitchell, and Bieksa gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead. But Mikko Koivu tied the score 27 seconds into the second, extending his career-high point streak to seven games.