Wild 3, Canucks 1: Rookie Charlie Coyle and Matt Cullen scored third-period goals to give visiting Minnesota its third straight victory and sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division.

Rookie defenseman Jonas Brodin also tallied for the Wild, who finished with a split of their four-game season series with the Canucks. Niklas Backstrom made 35 saves for his fifth win in six starts as Minnesota moved two points ahead of Vancouver in the division.

Captain Henrik Sedin had the lone goal for the Canucks, who dropped to 2-4-2 in their last eight games. Roberto Luongo stopped 22 shots in his fourth consecutive start.

Coyle tipped defenseman Clayton Stoner’s shot past Luongo 3:20 into the third to give Minnesota a 2-1 edge. Cullen extended the lead less than six minutes later, when he eluded Vancouver blue-liner Keith Ballard on the rush and slipped the puck between Luongo’s pads.

The teams traded power-play goals in the second, with Sedin burying the rebound of defenseman Jason Garrison's point shot midway through the period and Brodin answering from the point less than five minutes later.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Sedin’s power-play tally ended Vancouver’s 0-for-36 drought with the man advantage. … Minnesota D Ryan Suter was kept off the scoresheet for just the second time in nine games this month. … The Canucks have won the Northwest each of the last four seasons and five of the last six.