Canucks sneak past Wild

Mikael Samuelsson scored on a power play early in the third period to give the Vancouver Canucks a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

After Ryan Kesler tied the game early in the second by jamming the puck in from the side of the net, the NHL's top-ranked power play produced the go-ahead goal. Samuelsson found himself in perfect position to convert a rebound, roofing the puck over sprawling Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom for his team-high fourth of the season.

Vancouver (3-4-0) killed off a late penalty on Alexandre Bolduc for goalie interference to win for the third time in four home games this season. The Canucks will try for their first road victory Monday in Edmonton.

The improved effort came after the Canucks were embarrassed by falling behind 5-0 in a 5-3 loss Friday to the Flames in Calgary.

"We really wanted to focus on 60 minutes of play and tonight I think we accomplished that," Kesler told CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. "Last night, we didn't play good by any means. We played terrible, from start to finish."

Kesler said his line's speed and puck pursuit were keys as they fired 17 shots on Backstrom who finished with 37 saves.

"When you generate shots in the offensive zone, we have the speed to get to those rebounds," said Kesler who banked the puck in from the side of the net. "That was the game plan tonight and it worked.

Samuelsson, a free-agent signing in the off-season, had to be patient before scoring the deciding goal.

Backstrom was down and out of position and James Sheppard of the Wild was just stepping back on the ice after serving a roughing penalty.

"The puck just came out on the other side and I got it on my backhand, put it over to the forehand and I tried to get it high," Samuelsson said of the goal, his first at even strength.

"I feel more comfortable each game I play [with new teammates]. It takes some time. Even if I don't score goals I try, like everybody else, to do good things out there."

Roberto Luongo, who was yanked after the second period in Calgary, had an easy time bouncing back as the offensively limited Wild managed just 18 shots.

The Canucks' star netminder made a couple of key stops during the Bolduc penalty to help ensure the win.

Mikko Koivu scored a first-period goal for the Wild, who were swept on their five-game road trip and have the worst record in the Western Conference at 1-6-0.

"The bounces aren't going our way right now," defenceman Brent Burns told HNIC.

Minnesota was missing a pair of its best scoring forwards as Martin Havlat and Petr Sykora sat out with groin injuries.

With a third straight win at General Motors Place, Vancouver avoided falling into the NHL Western Conference cellar.

The battered Canucks were again without Daniel Sedin (foot), Sami Salo (knee), Mathieu Schneider (shoulder) and Pavol Demitra (shoulder).