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Demitra beats former team as Canucks edge Wild

Thu 20th, November 2008

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Pavol Demitra had a goal and an assist to help his new team, Vancouver, defeat his old team, Minnesota, as the Canucks took a 3-2 win over the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

Demitra had spent the previous two seasons with Minnesota, but signed as a free agent with the Canucks in the offseason. Daniel Sedin scored the game- winning goal with 8:19 left in the third period while Curtis Sanford made 28 saves for the Canucks, who are 6-0-2 in their last eight games.

"If we're gonna get first place these are the teams we have to beat," said Sanford. "I know I'm not playing a lot, but I come to the rink every night ready to play."

Mikko Koivu tallied both goals and Niklas Backstrom stopped 24 shots in the loss for the Wild, who had a three-game winning streak stopped.

"It was a tough loss," said Koivu. "Once they scored the winning goal we weren't able to answer and they got out of here with the win."

With the score tied in the third period, the Canucks took the lead with just over eight minutes to play. Sedin got an initial shot off on net that Backstrom stopped, but the rebound went to Demitra at the left side. From down low to the left of the net, Demitra centered the puck back to Sedin, who one- timed it home.

Minnesota got Backstrom out of the net in the final minute of the game and had a couple of scoring chances, but Sanford made the stops.

Neither side got on the board as Sanford made eight saves while Backstrom stopped seven shots in the opening period.

Minnesota drew first blood as Koivu blasted a slap shot from the left circle that hit off the arm of Sanford at the 7:16 mark of the second period.

Vancouver, though, answered just 44 seconds later as Steve Bernier banged in a loose puck in front of the net.

With under six minutes to play in the second, Koivu found himself on a clean shorthanded breakaway and he buried a wrister into the left corner of the net for a 2-1 lead.

However, the Canucks again answered as Demitra's shot from a sharp angle at the left side of the net hit off the stick of a Wild defender and snuck past Backstrom with 3:50 to play in the second for a power-play goal.

Game Notes

The Wild host St. Louis on Saturday...Vancouver wraps up its four-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Saturday...Vancouver has both games against Minnesota this season...Vancouver went 1-for-4 on the power play while Minnesota finished 0-for-3 with the man advantage.