(My Sportsbook) - The Minnesota Wild saw their six-game unbeaten string come to an end Saturday night at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks.

After Marian Gaborik got the Wild on the board in the opening period with an impressive highlight-reel tally, Vancouver netted three goals in a span of 1:08 to take the lead and control of the contest.

"It's hard to let three goals go in the first period and still win the game," Wild goaltender Manny Fernandez said. "We do have a good team, but I can't ask a miracle out of my guys."

The surging Wild, 5-1-1 in their last seven, have been the surprise of the early NHL season, as the perennial doormats have vaulted to the top of the Northwest Division standings with 18 points (8-2-2-0), four ahead of the Colorado Avalanche. Minnesota currently has the best mark in the Western Conference and is tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for the most points in all of the league.

However, on Saturday the team was unable to recover from the quick Vancouver onslaught and suffered just its second loss in eight tries at the Xcel Energy Center.

"It gives you a little bit of a shock," Wild center Cliff Ronning said. "It can deflate you or it can make you play harder. I think we played harder, but this league is tough to win in. You're not always going to get the bounces."

It was the fastest three goals the Wild had given up in their history. Minnesota had surrendered three scores in a span of 1:53 on two occasions.

"You're wondering where it's going to stop," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said.

A big reason for the strong play of Minnesota in the early going has been the stellar performance of Gaborik, who has emerged as one of the game's great young talents.

Already honored with an NHL Player of the Week Award, Gaborik leads the team in goals (7), points (16) and is tied for the team lead in assists with nine.

Earlier in the year against Phoenix, the 20-year-old right wing netted six points against Phoenix. His two goals and four assists against the Coyotes made him the youngest player to net six points in a game since Quebec's Owen Nolan on March 5, 1992.

WHAT'S AHEAD

The Wild, 2-0-2 on the road, begin a four-game swing Monday in Los Angeles versus the Kings. The trek continues Thursday in Phoenix, and will also include stops in San Jose and Anaheim.