Prince of Pucks: Scorn in Toronto, Vancouver

Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson Jr. in the East and Canucks GM Dave Nonis in the West are taking heat. Spector takes a look at their situations.

• Prince of Pucks: Scorn in Toronto, Vancouver

Sharks 5, Canucks 3

In two magical back-to-back nights, Joe Thornton took a share of the NHL scoring lead, just about singlehandedly set the West's eight-team playoff field and ended the Vancouver Canucks' postseason hopes.

Afterward, he was ready to contemplate even bigger things - not for himself, but for his San Jose Sharks, who are headed to the postseason with all the momentum Thornton can gather.

• Sharks 5, Canucks 3

Burrows scores hat trick as Canucks rally past Kings

Alexandre Burrows scored two of his three goals during a 3-minute span late in the second period, and the Canucks rallied to beat the Kings 7-4.

• Burrows scores hat trick as Canucks rally past Kings

Oilers 3, Canucks 2

Optional

Steve Staios gave the Edmonton Oilers breathing room in the game and took it away from the Vancouver Canucks in the standings.

Staios scored the eventual winning goal early in third period Saturday night, helping the Oilers beat the Canucks 3-2 and salvage a win in the three-game series between the teams.

After losing to Vancouver in regulation on Tuesday and in a shootout on Thursday, Edmonton finished the set tied with the Canucks for seventh place in the Western Conference.

• Oilers 3, Canucks 2

Oilers-Canucks, Sums

Edmonton 1 1 1-3

Vancouver 0 1 1-2

First Period-1, Edmonton, Smyth 32 (Horcoff), 9:48 (sh). Penalties-Cooke, Van (interference), 5:00; Tarnstrom, Edm (hooking), 9:13; Tarnstrom, Edm (slashing), 12:36; Kesler, Van (tripping), 16:55.

Second Period-2, Vancouver, Kesler 9 (Naslund, Bertuzzi), :22. 3, Edmonton, Samsonov 20 (Hemsky, Pronger), 9:54 (pp). Penalties-Harvey, Edm (slashing), 6:06; Ruutu, Van (tripping), 9:08; Bertuzzi, Van (interference), 14:46.

• Oilers-Canucks, Sums

Canucks need shootout to beat Edmonton

Markus Naslund tied it with 8:24 left and Naslund, Jarkko Ruutu and Todd Bertuzzi all scored in the shootout to help the Vancouver Canucks win their second straight game over the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3 on Thursday night.

After losing their first five games of the season against Edmonton, the Canucks have now beaten them twice in three days to move into a sixth-place tie with Anaheim in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the eighth-place Oilers.

• Canucks need shootout to beat Edmonton

Burrows hat trick leads Canucks

Alexandre Burrows scored two his three goals during a 3-minute span late in the second period and the Vancouver Canucks rallied to beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 on Monday night.

After the Canucks blew a lead in the period, Burrows tied it with 5:50 left, banging in a rebound of his own deflection.

Brendan Morrison gave the Canucks the lead with 3:17 to go in the period on a backdoor play, and Burrows - who had gone 21 games without a goal - added his second of the game 32 seconds later.

• Burrows hat trick leads Canucks

Canucks 7, Kings 4

Alexandre Burrows had the biggest night of his life in the Vancouver Canucks' biggest game of the season.

After going 21 games without a goal, Burrows scored two of his three during a 3-minute span late in the second period and the Canucks rallied to beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 on Monday night.

• Canucks 7, Kings 4

Kings-Canucks, Sums

Los Angeles 1 2 1-4

Vancouver 2 3 2-7

First Period-1, Los Angeles, Kostopoulos 8 (Miller), 17:33. 2, Vancouver, D.Sedin 20 (Carter, Ohlund), 18:44 (pp). 3, Vancouver, Carter 29 (D.Sedin, H.Sedin), 19:30 (pp). Penalties-Los Angeles bench, served by Brown (too many men), :19; Robitaille, LA (goalie interference), 3:21; Dempsey, LA (tripping), 11:38; Giuliano, LA (high-sticking), 17:51; Belanger, LA (hooking), 18:09; Morrison, Van (holding), 19:46.

• Kings-Canucks, Sums

Wild-Canucks Preview

GAME: Minnesota Wild (33-32-7) at Vancouver Canucks (39-28-6).

TIME: Wednesday, 11 p.m. EST.

Over the next two games, the Vancouver Canucks can solidify their playoff hopes and almost assuredly end those of a division rival.

Surging Vancouver meets the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday in the start of two straight games between the teams at GM Place. They will play again in the season-series finale on Friday.

• Wild-Canucks Preview