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Wild Vs. Canucks: Minnesota Tries To Keep Pace In The West

Minnesota looks to rebound from back-to-back losses Thursday when it hosts Vancouver.

Minnesota will play host to Vancouver Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center.

The Canucks have dropped two in a row, including Thursday's 3-1 loss at league-worst Columbus. The Canucks, meanwhile, roll in having won five of their last six games, the only loss coming to league-leading Detroit.

Vancouver has one of the league’s most dangerous offenses. The Canucks are third in goals per game (3.13) and first in power play percentage (22.7).

The Sedin brothers, Henrik and Daniel, power the Vancouver attack. Henrik is first in the league in assists and fifth points, while Daniel, who has four points in the last five games, is in the top 10 in both goals and points.

The Wild currently hold the eighth spot in the West with 58 points and a 25-20-8 record. A loss would tie them with ninth-place Phoenix.

With 71 points and a 33-15-5 revcord, the Canucks trail only the Red Wings in the standings. The Canucks are tied for the most road wins, 18, in the NHL.

This will be the fifth meeting this season between the Wild and Canucks. The season series started on Oct. 22 in Vancouver when Minnesota lost a 3-2 shootout. The Wild won 5-1 in Minnesota on Nov. 3, but have lost the last two, each in Vancouver, by a combined 7-0.

The game starts at 7 Central and will be on Fox Sports North.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, check out Hockey Wilderness. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.