Sedin Brothers Lead Canucks Past Coyotes

[March 18, 2008]  VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Henrik Sedin scored two goals, both on rebounds of shots by twin brother Daniel, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 3-1 on Monday night.

The slumping twins were split after being shut down in a 2-0 loss in Phoenix four nights earlier, and spent most of Saturday's win in Dallas on separate lines. They stayed apart most of Monday, but played together long enough for Henrik Sedin to score twice, once at even strength and another on a power play.

Taylor Pyatt also scored on the power play and Roberto Luongo stopped 25 shots as the Canucks moved into a tie with Calgary and Colorado for sixth place in the Western Conference, two points behind Minnesota for the Northwest Division lead, and four points ahead of ninth-place Nashville.

Daniel Carcillo scored for the Coyotes and Ilya Bryzgalov finished with 25 saves. Phoenix, 10th in the West, dropped seven points behind Vancouver for the final playoff spot with nine games left.

Henrik Sedin and Pyatt both ended lengthy goal-scoring droughts to stake the Canucks to a 2-0 lead. Henrik Sedin set up Daniel for a great chance at the side of the net, then came out from behind it to grab the rebound, lifting a backhand past Bryzgalov for his first goal not into an empty net in 17 games. Pyatt then shoveled a power play rebound under Bryzgalov for his first goal in 20 games.

Carcillo, who drew a 4-minute high-sticking penalty 40 seconds in and got into a spirited scrap with Rick Rypien midway through the first, put Phoenix on the board with 1:55 left in the period. He hit the post midway through the second, but added to his league-leading penalty totals with a roughing penalty and 10-minute misconduct a few minutes later.

On the ensuing power play, Henrik Sedin dropped to Daniel for a shot and drove the net to bat in the rebound out of the air.

Daniel, considered the scorer of the two Sedins, still doesn't have a goal in 13 games, and the two assists were his first points in the last six contests.

Notes: Canucks D Willie Mitchell played with a full-face shield after getting hit in the face with the puck Saturday in Dallas. ... D Nathan McIver was called up from Manitoba in the AHL earlier in the day and took rookie D Luc Bourdon s place. ... Rookie LW Mason Raymond left in the third after a knee-on-knee hit from Keith Ballard. ... Vancouver s last nine games are within the Northwest Division.

[Associated Press]

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