Vancouver Canucks lose Wild affair in Minnesota
The Minnesota Wild dominated the play on the ice, but it was an incident off it that has people talking, as Minnesota beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 on Tuesday 19 October.
How it happened
The Canucks got off to a great start scoring after just 58 seconds when Daniel Sedin got his fifth of the year. But the Wild answered back just over five minutes later with a power play goal from Marek
Zidlicky. Just over a minute later and Guillaume Latendresse made it 2-1 Minnesota with his second of the year.
Things got fired up just after the half-way point of the first when a fight broke out between Rick Rypien and Brad Staubitz.
The Wild got a third goal just before the end of the first period when Cal Clutterbuck got a goal on the power play for his second of the year.
The Wild then got goals from John Madden and Andrew Brunette in the second before Rypien and Staubitz dropped the gloves again. Rypien ended up receiving an extra roughing penalty, and a misconduct for
sucker puching Staubitz, and had to be escorted to the locker room. On his way, the fight spilled out into the crowd when an irate Rypien grabbed onto a fan who was taunting him. Rypien was restrained and brought to the locker room – fines and suspensions
are likely to follow.
Matt Cullen scored on the ensuing power play after the incident giving the Wild a 6-1 lead going into the third.
Daniel Sedin got a late tally on the power play – his second of the night and sixth of the season.
What they're saying
The incident which stole the show was Rypien's outburst as the Canucks wait to hear what the decision from the league will be.
"We'll wait and see how the League views it," Vancouver GM Mike Gillis said. "I'm sure there will be a hearing of some sort."
Luongo, who has now surrendered 14 goals in his last three starts, was replaced in the third period by backup goaltender Cory Schneider to start the third.
"He was like the rest of our team. Everybody in that room, starting with me, could do a better job," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said of his starter.
What it all means
The Vancouver Canucks, who were touted as a team that would compete for the Stanley Cup have struggled out of the gate so far this season. They play their second game in as many nights as they take on
the Blackhawks in Chicago on Wednesday 20 October.
With the win the Wild move ahead of Vancouver in the division – tied on points but with a game in hand. They travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers on Thursday 21 October.
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