This is a 10* on VANCOUVER

Despite taking a 5-1 loss Sunday, the Canucks are still outscoring visiting teams by an average of 0.9 gpg, which is very solid. They average 3.6 gpg in Vancouver and had won their two previous games here by scores of 6-2 and 3-0. Minnesota is not a good road team. They are giving up 3.7 gpg away from home, which is the third worst average in the league (only Detroit & Ottawa are worse). They also just made what was a bit of a head-scratching decision, firing coach Bruce Boudreau. Clearly, the front office saw something wrong with this team that the rest of us were not seeing. That the Wild were shut out at home - 2-0 by a bad San Jose team - in the first game after Boudreau's firing was not a good sign. Speaking of changes, Vancouver just brought in forward Tyler Toffoli in a trade with the Kings. This is a key acquisition. The Canucks are simply better than the Wild, especially at home. Play on VANCOUVER

AAA