St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Cory Schneider was sharp in his first start in
11 days, and the Vancouver goaltender received plenty of support from his
teammates as the Canucks cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild at
Xcel Energy Center.
Daniel Sedin, Chris Higgins, Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen all scored goals
to back a 22-save effort from Schneider, with Raymond adding an assist to help
extend Vancouver's season-high win streak to four games.
Schneider had not played since struggling in a 4-1 loss at San Jose on Jan.
27, with Roberto Luongo between the pipes for the Canucks' last four outings
and allowing just three goals in the team's last three triumphs. The only
blemish in his return, however, came on a power-play tally from Tom Gilbert in
the third period.
Counterpart Niklas Backstrom wasn't nearly as crisp for Minnesota, which lost
for only the second time in six home tests on the season. The Wild netminder
stopped just 12 of the 16 shots he faced.
Minnesota has now dropped three straight and six of eight since a 2-0 start.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network