CASPER
New member
LOS ANGELES – Captain Dustin Brown had three goals and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings roared to an early five-goal lead while inching closer to their first playoff berth since 2002 with an 8-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who have won two straight after a four-game winless streak endangered their playoff position.
With seven goals on their first 23 shots against befuddled Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, the Kings burst from an offensive slump with their highest-scoring performance of the season.
Los Angeles is seventh place in the Western Conference with 94 points, seven ahead of ninth-place Calgary with five games to play.
Justin Williams and Michal Handzus also scored, and Ryan Smyth led three players with two assists apiece as the Kings snapped a five-game losing streak against the Northwest Division-leading Canucks, who could have clinched a playoff berth with one point.
Vancouver allowed eight goals for the first time all season when Handzus scored on Luongo's misplay behind the net in the final minutes. Luongo stopped just 21 shots while enduring sarcastic jeers on every third-period save for the Canucks, who have 96 points and have lost four of their last six.
Los Angeles led 5-0 midway through the second period before Kyle Wellwood and Ryan Kesler scored in a 39-second span against 21-year-old Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier, who got his second straight start after shutting out Nashville on Tuesday. Bernier made 27 saves after allowing just one goal in his first two appearances this season.
Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who have won two straight after a four-game winless streak endangered their playoff position.
With seven goals on their first 23 shots against befuddled Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, the Kings burst from an offensive slump with their highest-scoring performance of the season.
Los Angeles is seventh place in the Western Conference with 94 points, seven ahead of ninth-place Calgary with five games to play.
Justin Williams and Michal Handzus also scored, and Ryan Smyth led three players with two assists apiece as the Kings snapped a five-game losing streak against the Northwest Division-leading Canucks, who could have clinched a playoff berth with one point.
Vancouver allowed eight goals for the first time all season when Handzus scored on Luongo's misplay behind the net in the final minutes. Luongo stopped just 21 shots while enduring sarcastic jeers on every third-period save for the Canucks, who have 96 points and have lost four of their last six.
Los Angeles led 5-0 midway through the second period before Kyle Wellwood and Ryan Kesler scored in a 39-second span against 21-year-old Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier, who got his second straight start after shutting out Nashville on Tuesday. Bernier made 27 saves after allowing just one goal in his first two appearances this season.
