HAWKS COOLED OFF

VANCOUVER-- Markus Naslund and Ryan Kesler scored 68 seconds apart in the second period and Alex Auld made 32 saves to lift the Vancouver Canucks to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

Henrik Sedin added a goal with three minutes left as the Canucks won for the fourth time in five games and improved to 9-1 at home.

Mark Bell scored and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 19 shots for the Blackhawks, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Chicago lost for just the second time in seven games.

After Khabibulin kept the Canucks off the scoreboard with several great stops, Bell gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the first period when he whistled a wrist shot over Auld's glove after being left alone in the high slot.

The goal was Bell's sixth during a four-game goal streak.

Chicago came out flying in the second, pinning the Canucks in their end while recording the first five shots of the period.

But the Blackhawks -- the NHL's most penalized team -- were undone by a tripping call against defenseman Jassen Cullimore 2:21 into the period.

Naslund converted a pretty backhand pass from Brendan Morrison on the ensuing power play, and Kesler gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead just over a minute later.

After being denied by Khabibulin on a pair of first-period breakaways, Kesler beat him while his back was turned. After Richard Park shot wide of an empty net to Khabibulin's right, Kesler quickly corralled the puck behind the net and stuffed in a wraparound on the other side before the goalie could get back.

The goal ended Kesler's 10-game pointless skid.

Auld, starting after No. 1 goalie Dan Cloutier played all three games during a California road trip, made his best save off Matthew Barnaby on a breakaway while the Canucks were being outshot 14-7 in the second period.

He made six saves in the third before Sedin banged Anson Carter's failed wraparound attempt into an empty net.

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