NHL : Canucks End Skid, Get Tikkanen

Vancouver was busy dealing and winning on Thursday.

After the Canucks acquired Esa Tikkanen from New Jersey for a draft pick, Alexander Mogilny had two goals and an assist and Kirk McLean made 27 saves to lead a 3-2 victory over the Blues at St. Louis, ending a four-game losing streak. The Blues are winless in their last four games.

The Canucks acquired Tikkanen, a 30-year-old left wing, for a second-round draft pick in the 1996 entry draft. Tikkanen has one goal and six assists in 20 games this season. He had only two assists in eight games with the Devils.

Mogilny put the Canucks ahead, 2-1, on a power play at 1:53 of the third period on a rebound of a shot by Roman Oksiuta that Blues goalie Grant Fuhr was unable to smother.

“Every game is a turning point, good or bad,” Mogilny said. “And this this can be a good turning point, if we keep winning.”

The Blues appeared to have tied the score 39 seconds later when Geoff Courtnall knocked in a rebound of a shot by Craig Johnson.

But referee Don Van Massenhoven disallowed the goal when a video replay appeared to show Courtnall kicking the puck into the net with his skate.

Fuhr, who has started every game this year, blocked 31 shots.

“We’re not very good right now,” Mogilny said. “We are four games below .500 and nothing will happen until we get to that mark.”

Mogilny has 18 goals and is the player the team looks to.

“He’s a game-breaker and we are fortunate to have him with Pavel [Bure] gone for the season,” Canuck coach Rick Ley said.

The Blues have scored 10 goals in their last five games.

“There’s concern about the lack of offense,” Coach Mike Keenan said. “I don’t know where the scoring is going to come from.”