Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Mikko Koivu scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, as the Minnesota Wild defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 5-4, at General Motors Place.

Stephane Veilleux posted two goals, while Kurtis Foster and Marian Gaborik both lit the lamp for the Wild, who have won three straight against the Canucks. Niklas Backstrom had 24 saves for the Wild, who moved six points ahead of Calgary for first place in the Northwest Division.

"Definitely it was a good team win, everybody contributing," said Veilleux. "Thats how we're going to stay up in the standings-playing some hard games and everyones contributing and playing a sixty minute game, thats important for us."

Alexander Edler scored two goals and had an assist for Vancouver, which has lost six of its last eight games. Roberto Luongo made 22 stops in a losing effort.

"I think we played pretty good," said Edler. "We battled hard and it was a tight game and went it to a shootout again but unfortunately we couldn't get the two points."

Minnesota's Brent Burns scored to complete the second round of the shootout, but Trevor Linden then beat Backstrom to keep Vancouver alive. However, Koivu went to his backhand to fake out Luongo, who fell down and the puck got by him to end the game.

Trailing 2-1 going into the third period, Vancouver tied the game just 2:16 into the frame when Ryan Kesler received a pass from Ryan Shannon and in front of the net and took a wrist shot that went past Backstrom.

Sixteen seconds later, Vancouver took a 3-2 lead when Edler took a slap shot from the top of the right face-off circle that bounced off the glove of Backstrom and into the net.

Minnesota came back though, and with 10:04 remaining in the third tied the game when Foster received a pass from Kim Johnsson and fired a slap shot from above the left circle that went over Luongo's blocker.

Gaborik gave the Wild the lead with 7:39 to go, as he skated into Vancouver's zone, in between two defenders and beat Luongo on a wrist shot.

The Canucks didn't go away. With 2:45 remaining Henrik Sedin won a face off in the left circle back to Edler, who fired a wrist shot over Backstrom's glove to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime period the Wild had the only shot and it was saved by Luongo.

Veilleux opened the scoring with 6:14 remaining in the first period when he skated in Vancouver's zone and received a pass from Pavol Demitra. Veilleux skated in front of Luongo, faked a slap shot and then used a backhander to get the puck in the net.

The Wild took a 2-0 lead with 7:15 left in the second period when Branko Radivojevic took the puck from the corner of the boards and shot it into the front of the net. The puck bounced off Veilleux and into the back of the goal.

Vancouver got on the board with 4:23 remaining when Alex Burrows shot a backhander in front of the net that deflected off Brad Isbister for the score.