(Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks look to win three straight for the
first time in over a month as they continue their homestand on Saturday night
against the Detroit Red Wings.
After halting a four-game slide (0-2-2) with Tuesday's shootout victory in
Columbus, the Canucks set a season high for goals in a single game with
Thursday's 7-4 triumph over the Nashville Predators.
That outburst came in the opener of a four-game homestand and with Vancouver
having scored just eight goals in its previous five games, not including the
credited shootout winner against the Blue Jackets.
Andrew Ebbett and Jannik Hansen both had a goal and two assists, while Henrik
Sedin scored on a penalty shot. Maxim Lapierre, Mason Raymond and Alexander
Edler also scored, while David Booth tallied into an empty net.
Roberto Luongo gave up four goals on 33 shots.
"It was good to capitalize on our chances and shut the door when we did,"
Booth said.
It was the Red Wings, though, that had the offense going when the clubs met
for the first time this season back on Feb. 24. Detroit had its best offensive
showing in 2013 with an 8-3 win at home.
Damien Brunner had two goals and a pair of assists, while Joakim Andersson
scored twice for the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall added a
goal and two assists each.
Daniel Sedin scored twice and Luongo yielded all eight goals on 28 shots for
the Canucks, who have lost four of their last six at home versus Detroit.
The Red Wings certainly had some good fortune on Friday in a 3-2 overtime
victory against Edmonton, getting the game-tying goal with 5:53 to play in
regulation when Oilers defenseman Jeff Petry put a clearing attempt into his
own net following a Kronwall shot during a power play.
Kronwall then hit Pavel Datsyuk with a short pass in overtime and the forward
danced into the Edmonton zone and snapped home his first goal in 12 games to
halt Detroit's three-game slide.
Valtteri Filppula also scored and Jimmy Howard made 30 saves as the Red Wings
rallied from two goals down in the middle portion of a three-game tour through
Western Canada.
"I don't think that's the recipe for success, but I think our guys really dug
in and got competitive," said Detroit head coach Mike Babcock.
The Red Wings, who moved to 4-6-2 on the road this season, have 31 points and
sit just one back of the St. Louis Blues for both second place in the Central
Division and fourth overall in the Western Conference.
The Sports Network