The Minnesota Wild were unable to get back in the win column on Wednesday night, as they continue to plummet further and further down the NHL rankings. They had no answer for the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks, losing 3-0 without putting up much resistance at all. Daniel Sedin struck first for the Canucks, early in the first period, assisted by Henrik Sedin and Dam Hamhuis. Alexandre Burrows notched a goal, assisted by both Sedins later in that period. After a scoreless second, Manny Malhotra would score on an empty net.
Josh Harding actually played very well for Minnesota, making some impressive saves and stopping 32 of 34 that came his way. Unfortunately, the Wild were out-shot 34-28 and couldn't get sustained pressure on Roberto Luongo, who notched the shutout with all 28 saves. Minnesota looked as though they'd given up by the third period, with only seven shots on goal at that point.
Following a winning streak of seven games, the Wild have now lost 10 of their last 11 outings, and have dropped from the top of the NHL standings overall. They'll try, once again, to get back in the win column after two days of rest on Jan. 7, when they take on the Calgary Flames.
For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. For an opposing point of view, check out Nucks Misconduct. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.