Kyle Wellwood and his 14 goals, second best on the Vancouver Canucks this season, were parked in the press box for Thursday night's 4-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

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Wellwood was a healthy scratch as coach Alain Vigneault continued to juggle his lines. Wellwood, who has only one goal in his last nine games and two points in his last 13, said he understood the decision.

"You never want to lose your spot, but we have been struggling getting wins and he has to shake things up and I guess I am the odd man out," Wellwood said after the morning skate.

Wellwood, who leads the team with eight power-play goals, has played lately on lines with the Sedins as well as Mats Sundin.

"I had a feeling it was coming because they have a philosophy here of trying to find the right formula to get wins," Wellwood said. "He gave me the first crack with Mats and gave me a shot with the twins and he didn't like what he saw. Now he has to try somebody else."

Still, Vigneault's decision to bench Wellwood instead of Taylor Pyatt, Jannik Hansen or Mason Raymond raised eyebrows.

Vigneault said Wellwood simply has to produce offensively to remain a regular.

"As an offensive player, he has to come up on the chance sheet and he hasn't been coming up on it, whether it be on the power play or five-on-five," Vigneault said. "You have decisions to make as a coach and that is what we have done."

The Canuck coach also reminded reporters that Hansen, despite no power-play time this season, has just one less point than the 19 Wellwood has produced this season.

"I like Jannik's speed and I'm hoping that might help Mats," Vigneault said.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work Thursday night.

SANFORD SENT DOWN: Goalie Curtis Sanford cleared waivers Thursday morning and has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose.

"I talked to Curtis this morning," Vigneault said. "He's a class act and he's going to go to Manitoba and work real hard."

Just how much Sanford will play in Manitoba is anyone's guess. Cory Schneider gets most of the work there and the Canucks would obviously like that to continue.

The Moose also have Karl Goehring as a backup.

RIGHT AT HOME: From the better-late-than-never department, New Westminster's Kyle Turris finally got to make his hometown NHL debut Thursday night.

Turris was a surprise healthy scratch when the Coyotes visited Vancouver back on Nov. 6. The 19-year-old didn't say anything publicly at the time, but was clearly upset as he had a large contingent of family and friends at GM Place to watch him play that night.

"It was pretty upsetting, but at the same time I learned from it and am just trying to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said before the game.

He was all smiles Thursday night after the Coyotes' win. Turris won a faceoff and assisted on Peter Mueller's second-period power play goal.

"I had lost so many draws, so I was due to win one and I just kind of shoveled it through my legs and Mueller picked it up and made a nice shot to put it five-hole," Turris said.

Turris, who has six goals and 14 points in 42 games this season, had another large cheering section on Thursday night.

"I think I put 60 passes aside and I bought some tickets too," he said.

DANISH DOUBLE: Thursday night's game figured to be a big hit in Copenhagen. It marked the first time two Danish players have gone head to head in a NHL game as Jannik Hansen and Mikkel Boedker faced off against one another.

The two are pals and talk regularly on the phone during the season.

"He is three years younger than me, but his older brother is my age and we would play together on the same team," Hansen said. "Whenever we would hang out he would always be there, too ... the last couple of years he has been around on the national team when we have played. During the season, we call each other a couple times a week maybe, but also in the summer we work out together. We live only 10 minutes apart outside Copenhagen."

bziemer@vancouversun.com