VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) _ Geoff Sanderson scored the tying goal with 4:17 left in his first game with Vancouver, rallying the Canucks to a 1-1 tie with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night.
Sanderson, one of three players making their Canucks debut after being acquired at the NHL trade deadline Tuesday, took the puck below the goal line during a late power play. He skated along the boards, into the faceoff circle, and snapped a wrist shot under Dwayne Roloson's glove.
Sanderson, acquired from Columbus, joined former New York Rangers forward Martin Rucinsky and former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marc Bergevin in making his Vancouver debut.
Dan Cloutier made 20 saves and got lucky when Filip Kuba hit the post with 1.7 seconds left in regulation as Vancouver salvaged a point in their first game without Todd Bertuzzi.
Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely for a blindside punch Monday that left Colorado forward Steve Moore in the hospital with fractured vertebrae in his neck and a concussion.
Bertuzzi issued a tearful apology after meeting with teammates before the game _ his first public statement since he attacked Moore. He had a disciplinary hearing in Toronto and will find out the length of his suspension Thursday morning.
Vancouver fell four points behind the Avalanche in the Northwest Division.
Andrew Brunette scored on a power play, and Roloson made 29 saves as the 12th-place Wild played tough against a playoff bound opponent for the second straight night. Minnesota beat San Jose 4-3 Tuesday night.
Brunette opened the scoring with 4:51 left in the second period, skating down the right side and wiring a 15-foot wrist shot over Cloutier's glove, off the post and in.
Rucinsky started in Bertuzzi's spot on the top line with Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund. Sanderson also took turns on the new top unit.
Cloutier, who allowed 12 goals in his last seven periods, was easily the best Canucks player. He robbed Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Stephane Veilleux from close range during an early power play and stuffed Marian Gaborik on a chance alone in the final minute of the first period.
