Canucks snap slump, beat league-leading Blues 2-1

The Vancouver Canucks led after 59 minutes once again tonight. This time, they actually held on.

Vancouver beat the team with the highest winning percentage in the NHL and ended their five-game losing streak, beating the St. Louis Blues 2-1.

Vancouver came into the game having lost five in a row, three times giving up an empty net goal while leading near the end of the third period.

But Eddie Lack shut the door in the final minute, making 30 saves in all.

Mike Santorelli scored the game-winning goal, his tenth of the season, at 5:56 of the third, tipping home a Jason Garrison shot.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZjboT84eoI&noredirect=1

Santorelli has been one of head coach John Tortorella’s favourite players this season, but he was taken off the top line with the Sedin twins in the first period on Friday.

Lack then made a huge pad stop on Blues captain David Backes midway through the third to keep Vancouver ahead. The Swedish netminder has started eight of the last nine games in place of injured Vancouver No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo.

Zac Dalpe also scored for the Canucks, who move to 24-13-9 on the season, fourth in the Pacific Division and seventh in the Western Conference. The Blues are at 31-8-5, first in the Central Division.

Notes: The Canucks defeated the Blues 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 25 in St. Louis. Ryan Kesler had two goals in that one, including the winner. The teams play their final regular-season meeting Feb 26. back at Rogers Arena…The Canucks open a three-game road trip on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. Vancouver visits the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday before facing the Phoenix Coyotes the following night…The Blues open a three-game homestand against the Coyotes on Tuesday…Tortorella coached the 900th game of his career…Bouwmeester, the current NHL iron man, played his 680th straight
game. Henrik Sedin is right behind after playing in his 675th straight game. Both Bouwmeester and Sedin have a long way to go to catch all-time iron man Doug Jarvis, who holds the NHL record with 964 straight games played.

– With files from Canadian Press