Tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Vancouver Canucks (20-10-5, 45 points) and Minnesota Wild (19-11-5, 43 points) faceoff live from the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota for the first of three meetings this season against each other. The game can be live streamed here. Vancouver fans can hear all of the action on Team 1040 while Minnesota fans can do the same on KFAN 100.3.
Vancouver hasn't lost yet in December and rides a seven-game win streak into tonight's game while Minnesota has only lost twice in regulation at home and boasts a 13-2-2 record at Xcel Energy Center this season.
The Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 6-2 on Saturday and rattled off five straight goals after coach John Tortorella called a timeout and laid into his team.
"He was fired up there and it got the guys going," David Booth told NHL.com. "We're professionals. Sometimes you don't need it and sometimes you do. That was a turning point for us and changed the outcome."
Minnesota scored just three regulation goals and lost two out of three games on its most recent road trip, but defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday in a shootout.
"Sometimes you hit those streaks where you don't get that offense as much," forward Mikko Koivu said per NHL.com. "A lot of times that happens on the road. Obviously we played some good teams. Tonight one goal and the shootout got us the win. We just have to stick with it."
Koivu is second on the team with 25 points off of seven goals and 18 assists while Zach Parise leads the team with 26 points off of 14 tallies and 12 helpers and Jason Pominville has lit the lamp 15 times and added eight assists for 23 points.
The Sedin twins pace the Canucks as Daniel Sedin (11 goals, 20 assists) and Henrik Sedin (nine goals, 22 assists) each have 31 points while Ryan Kesler has found the back of the net 15 times and added 11 helpers for 26 points.
Roberto Luongo is the likely starter for Vancouver and is 16-8-5 with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage while Josh Harding is expected to start and has won four out of his last five to bring his record to 17-5-3 with an NHL-best 1.49 GAA and a .939 save percentage.
The Canucks look for their eight straight win while the Wild hope to keep up their strong play at home when the puck drops tonight at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota.
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