by Kevin Woodley / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

VANCOUVER — Elias Pettersson had two goals and an assist and the Vancouver Canucks gained ground in the Western Conference playoff race with a 6-2 win against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena on Monday.

Jason Dickinson and Brock Boeser each had a goal and two assists; Vasily Podkolzin a goal and an assist; Oliver Ekman-Larsson, two assists.

Thatcher Demko made 28 saves for the Canucks (38-28-10), who have won six straight games and have points in 11 of their past 13 (8-2-3).

Vancouver is four points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division with a game in hand.

The Canucks are five points behind the Stars and Nashville Predators, who are tied for the two wild card spots into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the West, and one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights, who lost 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils on Monday. 

Roope Hintz scored twice for the Stars (43-28-5), who lost in regulation for the first time in five games (3-1-1). Jake Oettinger was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots; Scott Wedgewood made 10 saves in relief.

Connor Garland gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 7:28 of the first period with a one-timer between the legs of a screened Oettinger. 

Hintz tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 8:12 with a shot over Demko’s glove from the left hash mark.

Pettersson put the Canucks ahead 2-1 at 15:09, tucking the puck in from the side of the net.

Boeser, who returned after missing five games with an arm injury, finished a 2-on-1 pass from Pettersson 1:23 into the second period to make it 3-1. 

Hintz pulled Dallas within 3-2 on a shorthanded breakaway at 4:45, but Dickinson made it 4-2 at 10:33 with a deflection under Oettinger’s arm.

Vasily Podkolzin scored from a sharp angle 49 seconds into the third period to make it 5-2, and Pettersson scored into an empty net at 16:59 for the 6-2 final.