Canucks pull away from Stars in third
Posted February 20, 2011 12:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — Daniel Sedin scored twice and added an assist Saturday to move into the NHL scoring lead as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2.
Raffi Torres snapped a 23-game goalless drought with a pair and Henrik Sedin added a goal and two assists as the injury-riddled Canucks (38-13-9) opened a six-game home stand on the right note.
James Neal and Brenden Morrow replied for free-falling Dallas (31-22-8), which dropped its fourth straight game and fell to 2-9-1 in its past 12.
Daniel Sedin missed 19 games last season and watched as twin brother Henrik Sedin won the league’s scoring title.
This year, it’s Daniel Sedin making a run at the Art Ross Trophy.
The slick Swede opened the scoring 2:46 into the game, banking a sharp-angle shot in off of Dallas goalie Andrew Raycroft’s right pad.
He added insurance midway through the third period, wiring a wrist shot off the back cross bar on a partial breakaway to give Vancouver a 3-1 lead.
After Morrow responded with six minutes left in the third period to make it 3-2, Daniel Sedin passed up a chance at the hat trick to set up Henrik Sedin for a tap-in on a 3-on-1 to make it 4-2.
The three points give Daniel Sedin 77 on the season, two ahead of Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos. Henrik Sedin sits third in the league with 72 points.
While the offence was nice, the focus heading into the game was on a Vancouver defence corps that is missing five regulars: Alex Edler (lower back), Keith Ballard (knee), Kevin Bieksa (foot), Dan Hamhuis (concussion) and Keith Ballard (knee).
With rookies Chris Tanev (14th career game), Evan Oberg (fourth career game) and Yann Sauve (third career game) on the blue-line, the Canucks kept things simple and made an effort to spend as much of the game in the Stars’ end as possible.
Dallas is also plagued by injuries, with six regulars out of the lineup, including leading scorer Brad Richards (concussion) and young gun Jamie Benn (shoulder).
The absences showed, as the Stars mustered just 24 shots on Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo.
The loss was costly for Dallas, which remained at 68 points and in a tie with Los Angeles, Anaheim and Calgary for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Kings and Ducks lost Saturday, and the Flames were idle.
The teams were tied 1-1 after a scrambly first period.
After Daniel Sedin’s opening goal, Dallas responded on its first shot of the game 1:50 later, as Neal beat a screened Luongo with a glove-side wrist shot following a Sauve giveaway.
Torres, playing his best game in weeks, made it 2-1 Vancouver midway through the second period with a laser slapshot over Raycroft’s glove.
Torres made it 5-2 on a 2-on-1 late in the third, converting a Manny Malhotra feed for his 13th of the season.
Raycroft finished with 33 saves.
NOTES: Hamhuis said he could have played Saturday against Dallas, but the Canucks held him out of the lineup as a precaution. He is expected to play Tuesday against Montreal. … The Canucks won the season series over Dallas 4-0, outscoring the Stars 20-5. … Torres and Morrow fought to a draw early in the first period.
