Zucker scores twice, Wild top struggling Canucks 3-2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia —Jason Zucker broke a tie late in the second period and the Minnesota Wild scored on all three of their power plays, beating the staggering Vancouver Canucks 3-2 Tuesday night to stop a three-game slide.
Ryan Suter and Zach Parise also scored for Minnesota. Devan Dubnyk made 29 saves and Mikael Granlund had two assists.
Josh Leivo scored on his first shot in a Canucks uniform. Tyler Motte also had a goal for Vancouver, which has lost 12 of 13. Anders Nilsson stopped 25 shots.
Leivo put Vancouver on the board 7:02 into the game. He collected a pass from rookie Elias Pettersson in the slot and flipped the puck over Dubnyk's blocker.
The 25-year-old left wing was traded to Vancouver from Toronto on Monday for AHL forward Michael Carcone. Leivo had four goals and two assists in 27 games for the Maple Leafs this season.
The Wild responded on the first power play of the night after Canucks defenseman Michael Del Zotto was called for tripping.
Just 15 seconds into the penalty, Matt Dumba took a hard shot from the top of the faceoff circle and Parise deflected the puck past Nilsson to tie it.
https://youtu.be/gVTxyyE_dRA
The Canucks got off to a slow start in the second period, going more than eight minutes without a shot on goal. But then Tim Schaller got the puck to Motte in front and the center swept it in past Dubnyk.
Minnesota came back with two power-play goals less than a minute apart.
Canucks defenseman Alex Edler was first to the penalty box, getting called for interference. A minute later, Del Zotto got caught cross-checking, handing the Wild a two-man advantage.
Minnesota was quick to capitalize, with Ryan Suter taking a hard shot that beat Nilsson.
Only 55 seconds later, Zucker scored to put the Wild up 3-2.
Granlund had assists on both goals and is riding a three-game point streak. Minnesota has 11 power-play goals in its last 10 games.
https://youtu.be/N54R8Z1BKyg
Meanwhile, the Canucks went 0 for 3 with the man advantage. Vancouver also has spent 325 minutes in the penalty box this season, more than any other team. The Canucks' penalty kill was ranked 23rd in the NHL going into Tuesday's game.
The Canucks outshot the Wild 14-5 in the third period but couldn't get the puck past Dubnyk.
NOTES: The second period closed with a scuffle after Canucks left wing Jake Virtanen was nailed hard from behind along the end boards by Greg Pateryn. Virtanen was slow to get up and left the ice leaning over on his stick for support. He returned early in the third. Pateryn was called for boarding.
https://youtu.be/y2hGuXL2v2Q
UP NEXT
Wild: Play at Calgary on Thursday night.
Canucks: Wrap up a five-game homestand Thursday against Nashville.
