Canucks reach for top in division

Vancouver has a chance to grab sole possession of the Northwest Division lead as they take on the Predators in Nashville on Thursday.

• RELATED: Game Day: Vancouver at Nashville

Anson Carter and Markus Naslund scored Vancouver's goals in their last game. (Getty Images)

It is the second of three games on the road for the Canucks. Markus Naslund and Anson Carter scored nine seconds apart in the second period as Vancouver beat Calgary 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Alex Auld made 30 saves to earn his 26th win of the season.

Vancouver has won six of its last nine games. The team is tied with Calgary for top spot in the division, though the Flames have two games in hand.

Calgary will host St. Louis on Thursday.

The Canucks are currently without defencemen Ed Jovanovski, Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo due to injuries, but general manager Dave Nonis is not liking any of the price tags in trade talks he's had thus far.

"I would love to bring someone in that would help our team and that's what we're going to try and do," he told the Vancouver Sun. "But the alternative of making a deal just to say we did it and having it hurt us not only now but long term is not something I am prepared to do."

With goaltender Dan Cloutier out until at least April, it's also been speculated that the Canucks could add a goaltender to complement Auld.

Nashville were blanked 3-0 in Chicago on Wednesday in their first game back since the Olympic break. The team has now lost four of their last five games.

Backup goaltender Chris Mason made 30 saves for Nashville, but his teammates could only muster 20 shots against Chicago's Craig Anderson.

Martin Erat, Marek Zidlicky, Danny Markov, Kimmo Timonen and Tomas Vokoun were the Predators who saw action for their native countries in Turin.

The team will look to bounce back on home ice against Vancouver before heading back out on the road for a four-game trip.

"Every game is big with only 23 to go, but [hosting Vancouver] is definitely one of the biggest,'' Timonen told the Tennessean. "We can't afford to take any nights off.''

The Canucks beat Nashville 4-3 on Dec. 28, the only meeting between the two clubs this season. Vancouver has won 17 of 26 all-time against the Predators.

The Canucks will finish their three-game road trip in Chicago on Friday before returning home for a three game homestand.