STATS LLC
The Vancouver Canucks lead the NHL in penalties and they hope it doesn’t contribute to many more losses.

The struggling Canucks look to avoid a third consecutive defeat when they host the last-place Ottawa Senators for the first time in a little more than three years on Sunday night.

Vancouver (19-14-3) allowed two power-play goals for the third straight game and lost 3-2 at home to Edmonton on Friday for its third defeat in four contests.

Though very much in the Western Conference playoff picture, the Canucks’ 718 penalty minutes are by far the most in the league. They have allowed their opponents to convert on six of their last 16 power-play chances over the last three games and are 4-6-0 when giving up at least two goals while short-handed.

“It’s an issue that obviously has hurt us since the beginning of the year and that we are trying to address with our core group, and for our sake hopefully we find a solution to it soon,” coach Alain Vigneault told the Canucks’ official Web site.

Vancouver allowed the Oilers to go 2-for-5 with the man-advantage Friday and score all their goals in the second period before the Canucks got on the board.

“We’re finding ourselves in way too many situations like that and it is showing up on the scoreboard,” said Curtis Sanford, who made 20 saves in falling to 6-6-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average. “It’s not a lack of effort (that we are taking penalties).”

Mason Raymond scored for the second time in three contests and Kyle Wellwood added a goal while Alex Edler had a pair of assists for the Canucks, who snapped a goal drought that stretched over three games and lasted 103 minutes.

Though Sanford has played in five straight games and lost his only meeting against Ottawa, Corey Schneider could get the start as the two continue to share time with captain Roberto Luongo sidelined since Nov. 22 with a groin injury. Schneider is 2-3-1 with a 3.60 GAA this season and has never faced Ottawa.

Vancouver won 3-2 in a shootout over the Senators at home on Dec. 9, 2005 and 2-1 at Ottawa on Jan. 18, 2007 in the teams most recent meeting.

Ottawa (12-16-5) lost 6-3 at Calgary on Saturday for its second straight loss to open 0-2 on its season-high eight-game road stretch. It was the second straight game the Senators allowed six goals.

“We’re obviously not happy where we are right now, but I thought we played a pretty decent hockey game aside from a couple of breakdowns,” said forward Jason Spezza, who scored his 14th goal to give him two and two assists in his last three games.

Alex Auld has been in net in both games on the road trip and has allowed five goals in losing each of his last four starts for Ottawa, which has been outscored 25-14 in losing four of its last five.

Martin Gerber could get the start Sunday after winning two of his last three starts. He is 3-6-1 with a 2.69 GAA on the season and 1-2-0 with a tie and a 2.16 GAA versus Vancouver.

Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips will try to record a goal in his third straight contest while looking to extend his point streak to six games.

STATS LLC
A brief holiday break might have been the best way for the Vancouver Canucks to recover from their worst game of the season.

The Canucks return to the ice on Friday night as they open their final three-game homestand of the calendar year against the Edmonton Oilers.

Vancouver, whose defense ranks among the league’s best with 94 goals allowed, headed into its most recent contest having won five of eight and limited opponents to 2.5 tallies per game in that span.

But the Canucks (19-13-3) failed miserably in an attempt to contain one of the NHL’s highest-scoring teams, falling 5-0 at league-leading San Jose on Tuesday. They were blanked for the third time this season, and for the second time in six games after a loss 3-0 on Dec. 13 at Edmonton (15-14-3).

Vancouver was playing its third contest in four days and allowed all five goals in the first 20:43.

With captain Roberto Luongo still nursing a groin injury, rookie Cory Schneider stopped just five of 10 shots before being replaced by Curtis Sanford for the Canucks, who fell out of the lead in the competitive Northwest Division after Calgary won earlier that night.

Sanford has compiled a 2.20 goals-against average in winning six of his last eight outings versus the Oilers. Schneider has allowed 12 goals in losing two of his last three starts and has never faced Edmonton.

With 41 points, the Canucks are one point behind the Flames — idle until Saturday against Ottawa — and have an eight-point lead over last-place Edmonton.

“I guess you have to work harder and get better, we’ve got a couple days to regroup and refocus, and get ready for our next game,” Schneider told the Canucks’ official Web site.

That comes in Vancouver, where the Canucks have outscored their opponents 32-20 while going 8-2-1 in their last 11.

Contributing to the Canucks’ overall home success has been left wing Daniel Sedin, who has notched 10 goals and nine assists in 15 games there. Overall, he leads the team with 17 goals and 35 points.

Edmonton, meanwhile, has scored 87 goals this season to tie division rival Minnesota for second-fewest in the Western Conference.

After being outscored 16-6 in three straight losses, the Oilers headed into the holidays with a 4-2 home victory over Phoenix on Monday. Sheldon Souray and Andrew Cogliano scored power-play goals in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie.

Souray, Edmonton’s second-leading scorer with 23 points, was relieved by the victory.

“When you lose these kind of games, especially with the situation we are in, it can kind of fester when you have a few days off,” the defenseman said.

The Oilers have won six of their last nine road contests, and head to GM Place for the second time in 10 days following a 4-2 loss on Dec. 17. Edmonton is 2-5-1 in its last eight visits to Vancouver.

Right wing Ales Hemsky, who leads the Oilers with 10 goals and 23 assists, has five goals and 17 assists in 26 career games versus the Canucks.