Jannik Hansen News

The Canucks have most of their injured players back, but will have to do without the one they need the most for a little longer.

THE SETUP: Two of the Western Conference's perennial top teams are in an unfamiliar position - out of a playoff berth.

Henrik Zetterberg scored midway through the third period and Jimmy Howard made 31 saves, giving the Detroit Red Wings a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Vancouver Canucks Tanner Glass tries to get the puck past St. Louis Blues goaltender Chris Mason during the first period of their NHL hockey game in St.

THE SETUP: Fresh from three off-days, the Canucks get a chance to get back on the winning track in St.

Every Monday, we break down Vancouver's schedule for the upcoming week. The Games: Tuesday at St.

The surprise was supposed to be a Daniel Sedin sighting. Instead, it was a no-show by Roberto Luongo at Vancouver Canucks practice Sunday in Dallas that stole the show.

DALLAS a ' Andrew Raycroft has been arguably the best goalie in the National Hockey League the last week, but apparently isna TMt good enough to start tonight for the Vancouver Canucks in Dallas.

Coming off a heated game against the New York Rangers, the Vancouver Canucks will look to bring that feistiness onto the road tonight as they visit the divisional rival Minnesota Wild, who are sitting at the bottom of the Northwest .

Vancouver Canucks left wing Darcy Hordichuk, 24, is congratulated by teammate Matt Pettinger after scoring against Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom.

The natives of Livonia, Mich., could end up going head-to-head much of the game.

Finally, some good news on the injury front for the Vancouver Canucks. Henrik Sedin walked into the Vancouver International Airport departure area Wednesday morning without a limp.

Sami Salo is a fast healer. Of course, he has had lots of practise. The often-injured Vancouver Canuck defenceman expects to return to the National Hockey League team's lineup Thursday in Los Angeles, just 18 days after suffering a knee injury that was supposed to sideline him 4-6 weeks.

Craig Anderson and the Colorado Rockies shut out the Vancouver Canucks and Daniel Sedin the last time they played.

Injured centre Kyle Wellwood's absence from the Vancouver Canucks will be measured in days, not weeks, and winger Jannik Hansen's return may soon be gauged the same way.

Roberto Luongo missed 24 games last season with a groin injury. Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo will miss at least the next two games after suffering a hairline fracture in one of his ribs.

THE SETUP: This is Olympic coach Mike Babcock's only visit to GM Place before the Games in February, but his focus is more on his struggling club a ' 3-4-2 out of the chute.

After winning division titles last season, the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings got off to slow starts and struggling defenses were partly to blame.

Mathieu Schneider will make his Vancouver debut and Russian rookie Sergei Shirokov gets his second shot with the big club tonight when the Canucks meet the Edmonton Oilers at General Motors Place.

Wellwood joins Canucks' injury list Kyle Wellwood, seen during the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring, has been awarded a one-year, $1.2-million contract by an arbitrator.