Game Recap: Canucks 3, Wild 1

VANCOUVER -- Kiefer Sherwood scored the go-ahead goal with 3:45 left in the third period for the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-1 win against the Minnesota Wild at Rogers Arena on Friday.

Sherwood took a cross-ice pass from defenseman Filip Hronek, who had two assists, off his skate at the bottom of the left face-off circle and shot quickly under the blocker of a sliding Filip Gustavsson for his first goal in 16 games.

“When the puck went up to [Hronek], he made a (heck) of a play just to find me back door, and didn't necessarily see it go in, I was just trying to get off quick,” Sherwood said, who was rewarded with the crowd chanting his name as he celebrated. “It's pretty special. You can't really put it into words, just black out a little … I've never played really in a market like this or fan base that's this crazy. … The fans are nuts and just got to keep giving them reasons to cheer."

Elias Pettersson also scored his first goal in 16 games and Kevin Lankinen made 37 saves for the Canucks (29-22-11), who have won two straight games at home following a 1-4-0 road trip.

“I think we’ve been playing pretty good defense the last six weeks,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “But, obviously, we’ve got to start scoring some goals."

Brock Faber scored and Gustavsson made 17 saves for the Wild (36-23-4), who lost for the first time in three games despite outshooting Vancouver 15-5 in the third period and 38-20 overall.

“That's as frustrating as it gets, a game like that,” Faber said. “I thought we outplayed them 80 percent of the game, maybe 75 percent of the game, probably doubled their grade-A chances. Those ones are as frustrating as they get for sure.”

The Wild hit the post in each period. Forward Matt Boldy hit the post from the low slot 4:44 into the first period, Gustav Nyquist hit the post on a shorthanded 2-on-1 with 47 seconds left in the second, and Devin Shore hit the post again with a wrist shot off the rush midway through the third.

“I talked to the players after the game,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “It's a hard League to win in, but if we ice the game that we iced tonight, we're going to give ourselves the best chance to win most nights.”

Pettersson put the Canucks ahead 1-0 with a power play one-timer from the top of the left face-off circle that went past Gustavsson’s blocker at 16:14 of the first period. It was his first point in five games and first goal since Jan. 21.

“Like I said the other day, I'm not perfect,” Pettersson said. “I know this hasn't been my best season, but I can't change it, and I'm just trying to get better every day. And today was a good day, we got a win, had a goal.”

Lankinen made his best saves off Wild forward Marcus Johansson, stopping him on a shorthanded 2-on-1 shot at 14:17 of the first period and on a backhand chance on a breakaway in tight one minute into the second period.

“I don't want to take it for granted but it's almost like you do,” Pettersson said of Lankinen. “He's been standing on his head all year. He’s been incredible for us.”

Gustavsson kept it 1-0 with a post-to-post left pad save to take a backdoor tap-in away from Conor Garland on a power play with 1:54 left in the second period.

Faber tied it 1-1 on the power play at 7:12 of the third with a one-timer from the top of the face-off circles. Lankinen got caught sliding across towards Marco Rossi at the right dot, who one-touched the puck up to Faber instead.

It was the sixth shot on that power play for the Wild, and just the second power-play goal surrendered by the Canucks over 11 games and 26 chances.

Minnesota was 1-for-2 on the power play; Vancouver finished 1-for-3.

“Our power play has been doing pretty well the past four-five games and special teams is huge,” Faber said. “It's one of those things you got to take with a grain of salt, right? We played a game that's going to give us a chance to win down the stretch, and just didn't click. Outplayed them and just credit to those guys, they won fair and square. We've won games like that. It's just how the game works.”

Teddy Blueger scored into an empty net with 54 seconds left for the 3-1 final.

NOTES: Minnesota forward Justin Brazeau, acquired from the Boston Bruins in a late Thursday trade, arrived in Vancouver mid-afternoon and had two hits and one blocked shot in 7:11 of ice time predominantly on the fourth line. … Hronek’s four assists in the past two games coincide with usual defense partner Quinn Hughes being out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. … Pettersson has 448 NHL points, one behind Todd Bertuzzi (449) for the ninth most in team history. … Lankinen's 21 wins in his first season with the Canucks are third all-time behind Roberto Luongo (47 in 2006-07) and Ryan Miller (29 in 2014-15).