VANCOUVER -- Mikael Samuelsson scored two goals and Ryan Kesler added three assists as the Vancouver Canucks beat the New York Rangers 4-1 in a rare meeting between the teams at General Motors Place on Tuesday night.
Rick Rypien, with the winning goal, and Henrik Sedin, into an empty net in the final two minutes, also scored for Vancouver as the injury-riddled Canucks posted their third win in four games. They improved to 9-7-0 before a crowd of 18,818, the 270th consecutive sellout at the rink known as the Garage.
The Canucks have won two straight since being beaten 7-2 by Anaheim on Friday, surrendering just one goal in the process.
"This team has a lot of character, a lot of grit and a lot of hard work," said Kesler. "Obviously, we got beat pretty bad in Anaheim, but we came right back and put our work boots on and didn't get discouraged."
Christopher Higgins replied for the Rangers (9-6-1), who suffered their sixth loss in eight games. Vancouver remained unbeaten in three games against Eastern Conference teams this season.
It was the Rangers' first visit to Vancouver in almost two years (Jan. 3, 2008) and only the second in almost eight years. The teams have only played each other six times since Jan. 16, 2002.
Vancouver outshot New York 30-23. Both teams went one-for-five on the power play.
Seven Canucks sat out with injuries. Veteran defenceman Kevin Bieksa played both on the wing and back on the blue-line at times.
Samuelsson gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 18:43 as he put a Kesler rebound past his Swedish Olympic teammate Henrik Lundqvist. Mason Raymond didn't get an assist but his forechecking allowed Kesler to intercept a Wade Redden pass and get the shot away.
Canucks goaltender Andrew Raycroft came up big early in the second as he stopped Brandon Dubinsky, who got the puck all alone by the side of the Vancouver net, denied Christopher Higgins, and snared a Dan Girardi point shot following a face-off.
"(Raycroft's) been huge for us the last two games," said Kesler. "He's really proven himself. He's a great guy in the locker-room."
The Canucks had a goal disallowed at 6:40 after the puck went in off Kesler's skate as he charged the net. The decision stood after a replay review.
Tempers flared about four and a half minutes into the third period after New York's Marian Gaborik cross-checked Kesler after a whistle. Five players -- three Canucks and two Rangers -- received 10-minute misconducts as a brawl almost ensued near the benches.
At one point, Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault pulled tough guy Darcy Hordichuk back as he attempted to leave the bench.
Higgins tied the game 1-1 at 6:24 of the third period. Standing in the slot, he one-timed Dubinsky's pass from the side of the net. The goal ended Raycroft's shutout string at 108 minutes and 17 seconds, which spanned three games dating to Friday's game in Anaheim.
Rypien restored Vancouver's lead two minutes and 24 seconds later, converting a Kesler pass.
"We were on the puck the whole night," Kesler said. "He came off the bench and no one saw him, so I was just waiting for there to be a lane and he made the shot."
Samuelsson scored an insurance marker on a power play at 14:13 of the third.
Notes: Canucks rookie Michael Grabner is sidelined for six weeks after suffering a fractured ankle and torn ligaments while kicking a soccer ball around before Sunday's win over Colorado . . . Matt Pettinger played for the Canucks after signing a day earlier. The 29-year-old Victoria product is in his second stint with Vancouver after playing 20 games for them in 2007-08 following a trade from Washington. He left the Canucks organization early last season after being claimed by Tampa and was on a 25-game minor-league tryout contract with Vancouver's AHL farm team in Manitoba when the injury-riddled Canucks gave him a call . . . Vancouver centre Henrik Sedin played his 351st consecutive game to move into a second-place tie on the NHL's ironman list with Carolina's Eric Staal. Barring an injury, Sedin will surpass Staal on Thursday in Minnesota. Staal missed a game recently because of injury. The Vancouver veteran is only three games behind leader Jay Bouwmeester of the Calgary Flames (354) . . . New York winger Donald Brashear, who sat out with an injury Tuesday, is one game away from 1,000 for his career . . . Canucks No. 1 goaltender Roberto Luongo, out since Oct. 27 with a cracked rib, is expected to return to action on the upcoming five-game road trip.