Strong start, finish lead to record
Bob Luongo's head didn't seem to be right in the early going.
Minnesota scored on its first two shots of the game, then on its first three shots of the third period, and walloped on hated rival Vancouver, 5-2, forcing Luongo to the bench after scoring its fifth goal.
In the process, Niklas Backstrom set a new franchise record with his 114th win in his fourth season. He made 29 saves.
Antti Miettinen led the third-period charge with two goals. He added an assist and Kyle Brodziak, Mikko Koivu and Owen Nolan also scored.
Ryan Kesler and Alexandre Burrows scored for the Canucks.
A win, but at significant cost
Given how Anaheim's season has gone, any time the Ducks get two points should be a cause for celebration. But the most recent victory was soured.
Playing in just his third game after missing 17 with a broken hand, winger Teemu Selanne took a puck to his jaw, resulting in a fracture, in the third period of Anaheim's 4-3 win over Boston. The puck deflected off the stick of Bruins forward Miroslav Satan then bounced off the ice before hitting Selanne.
An initial prognosis would have Selanne out anywhere from four to eight weeks and putting his Olympic competition for Finland in jeopardy.
Ryan Getzlaf's 100th career goal early in the third tied the score at 3-3, then Steve Eminger pushed home a rebound off a Bobby Ryan shot for the winning goal with 12 minutes to play. Ryan finished with two assists and Jonas Hiller stopped 27 shots. Dan Sexton and Matt Beleskey also scored for the Ducks.
It was Anaheim's fifth straight win and has them four points out of a playoff spot.
Zdeno Chara, Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm scored for Boston.
In other action
--Alex Ovechkin's 28th goal early in the third period was part of a three-goal comeback and Washington outlasted Florida, 5-4 in a six-round shootout. No shooter scored in the first three rounds before there were five goals from the final six players, the winner coming off Tomas Fleischmann's stick.
--Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 saves, including 16 in the third period, and Sidney Crosby's 30th goal led Pittsburgh to a 3-1 win over Calgary.
Stat of the night
5 - Consecutive games Jarome Iginla has been held without a point.
Quote of the night
"We have to learn how to win games. We do a lot of things right on a lot of nights, but this is a game that is about wins and losses and we aren't good at closing teams out or doing what it takes to finish teams off."
Florida coach Pete DeBoer. The Panthers held a 4-1 lead over Washington before blowing it.
Notable games
Thursday, Jan. 14 (12 games)
-Buffalo (28-11-5) at Atlanta (20-19-6), 7 p.m. ET. Ryan Miller vs. Ilya Kovalchuk and company.
-New Jersey (32-11-1) at Phoenix (26-16-5), 9 p.m. Will anyone score?
-Anaheim (21-19-7) at Los Angeles (25-18-3), 10:30 p.m. The Kings are suddenly slumping, 3-7-0 in their last 10 and a very tenuous hold on the 8th playoff spot in the West after formerly being on top. The Ducks can get to within two points, or LA can be overtaken if Detroit (home against Carolina) or Minnesota (an easy two points at St. Louis) can win.
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