Sami Salo scored on a rebound with 1:13 left in the third period Thursday, offsetting a Chicago rally and giving Vancouver a 5-3 win over the Blackhawks. Vancouver survived a third-period meltdown to win the opening game of the second-round playoff series -- the first to get under way around the NHL. Roberto Luongo took a shutout into the final period, but the Blackhawks scored three times to tie it and create a chance for what would have been a stunning victory. Salo, however, gathered up the puck in the high slot after Nikolai Khabibulin had stopped the original shot from Steve Bernier and easily slipped it past the Chicago goaltender. Khabibulin was immediately removed for an extra attacker and Ryan Johnson took advantage by scoring into an empty net with 16 seconds to play. Vancouver will host the second game in the best-of-seven series Saturday. The Canucks built their lead on a first-period power-play goal from Pavol Demitra and second-period tallies by Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesl

T.J.

Henrik Sedin scored with 1 minute left in overtime Tuesday to put Vancouver in first place in the Northwest Division with a 2-1 win over Minnesota.

Daniel Sedin put Vancouver in front 37 seconds deep in the third period and the Canucks scored three times in the final stanza Friday to defeat Colorado 4-1. Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin had a goal and an assist, giving Vancouver its sixth win in eight games.

Alex Burrows scored twice on the day he got a contract extension and Vancouver churned out a 4-2 victory Tuesday over struggling Minnesota. Pavol Demitra and Steve Bernier got the Canucks' tying and go-ahead goals 28 seconds apart late in the second period. Burrows who agreed to a four-year contract extension now has 18 goals, the most in his career. The Wild, who are in danger of missing the playoffs, mustered only 19 shots against Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, who stopped 17 of them. Dan Fritsche and Marek Zidlicky scored for the Wild.