BY MARK SPECTOR
sportsnet.ca

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks are searching.

They are searching for a string of victories, searching for a spot in the top eight in the Western Conference. Searching for a sign that they are the team they looked like when they went two rounds last spring.

So when they entered the third period on Friday night at GM Place, tied at home with one of the truly elite teams in the National Hockey League, it was clear that opportunity was knocking.

Then Washington defenceman Tom Poti took a cross-checking minor with 7:26 to play, and the game still tied 2-2.

He mouthed off to referee Mike Leggo and received two more minutes, opening the door for Vancouver to seize the kind of victory that is worth a little more than just two points in the standings.

"I can’t remember the last time we found a way to get the winning goal in the third period," said Canucks defenceman Sami Salo, who played a huge part in a masterful job done shutting down Alex Ovechkin.

Mason Raymond grabbed a rebound on the ensuing powerplay, wheeled and fired it into an unguarded net with just over six minutes to play. Raymond’s second of the game was followed by some Roberto Luongo theatrics, as he stopped Alexander Semin on a penalty shot with 5:45 to play, and weathered a late storm to claim a 3-2 Vancouver victory.

The Canucks have not only been looking for a chance like this, they’ve been looking to seize a chance like this.

"That’s fair to say," continued Salo. "Like I said, I can’t remember the last time we found a way in the third period to get that winning goal. Usually (when they win), we’re leading going into the third."

The Canucks won this game by shutting down Ovechkin. He had no points, three shots on goal — the first did not come until 51 minutes into the game — and finished at minus-1.

Raymond, whose line was charged with checking Ovechkin’s line, outscored the Russian superstar 2-0.

"Ryan Kesler’s line did a great job of keeping a great player down," admired head coach Alain Vigneault, of the Canucks’ No. 2 unit of Raymond, Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson. "They buckled down and gave us a chance to win tonight."

Down the hall, Washington coach Bruce Boudreau lamented the best laid plans. He has split up Ovechkin and Semin, and really, his plan worked Friday.

Almost.

"The last few games we’ve split them," Boudreau said. "Especially on the road, you try to have two lines that can score. They shut Ovie down, but Semin could have had two or three goals."

On a night when the Canucks made the NHL’s top power play look impotent, they left the league’s most explosive player looking normal as well.

"We had power play, but didn’t have the puck," said Ovechkin, whose unit went 0-for-4. "I just don’t have the puck. Third period was too late. We had a couple of chances, but was too late."

Washington goes into Edmonton for a game against the Oilers on Saturday night, while the Canucks get St. Louis at GM Place Sunday night.