(My Sportsbook) - After winning their first two games of the season in impressive fashion, the Vancouver Canucks have struggled to find their form ever since.

Entering Saturday's tilt with the NHL's top-team in the West, the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver had won just once (1-4-4) since its back-to-back wins to start the campaign.

So you figured win No. 4 on the season would not be in the cards at the suddenly tough confines of the Xcel Energy Center.

Well, guess again. The Canucks used a three-goal first-period flurry to topple Minnesota, 4-2, and in the process halted the Wild's six-game (5-0-1) unbeaten streak.

"We stuck to our game plan," Todd Bertuzzi said. "Instead of sitting around and not doing anything about it, we went right out and got one."

After Marian Gaborik gave the Wild a 1-0 advantage, Bertuzzi scored on the power-play 1:20 later for his fifth goal of the season to square the game.

"You have to be careful when a team gets (the first) goal," Minnesota coach Jacques Lemaire said. "The line that takes over at that point needs to keep the pressure on and play in their end. It didn't work out that way."

Twenty-seven seconds later, the Canucks went ahead when Trevor Letowski scored to give Vancouver the lead for good. However, the Canucks were not done and Ed Jovanovski capped the first-period surge with his second goal of the season and a 3-1 Vancouver advantage.

"The first one was a good goal. The other two, I suspect (Manny) Fernandez would like to have back," Vancouver coach Marc Crawford said.

Three goals in a 1:08 span proved to be the difference for the Canucks, who added a goal in the third period to seal the win after the Wild got to within a tally.

Dan Cloutier grabbed the win for Vancouver, as Minnesota peppered the young netminder down the stretch. Cloutier stopped 20 shots, but none were bigger than two glove saves on point-blank opportunities by Cliff Ronning and Alexei Zholtok in the second period.

WHAT'S AHEAD

The Canucks will try to build on their win in Minnesota as they continue a four-game road trip with stops in Colorado, Dallas and Phoenix.