Canucks top Kings, take 3-2 series lead
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mikael Samuelsson scored twice and added an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks routed the Los Angeles Kings 7-2 on Friday night to grab a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Daniel Sedin and Samuelsson scored 5 minutes apart in the second period to chase goalie Jonathan Quick. Samuelsson added his playoff-leading seventh goal on a power play in the third to send backup Erik Ersberg back to the bench.
Steve Bernier had two goals, Alexander Edler and Pavol Demitra also scored, and Roberto Luongo made 24 saves for Vancouver. After rallying in the third period to win Game 4 in Los Angeles and avoid a 3-1 series deficit, the Canucks can advance to the second round with a road victory on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Henrik Sedin, who led the NHL in regular-season points, set up both second-period goals to knock Quick from the game after he made 17 saves. He won an offensive zone faceoff to Samuelsson, who fed Daniel Sedin behind the net for a wraparound that Quick stopped. But Daniel lifted the rebound over his pad at 8:26.
Samuelsson, moved up to the top line with the Sedin twins during Game 4, added his sixth of the series at 13:31 with a seeing-eye shot from the top of the right circle that went past two Kings and beat Quick high glove side.
Ersberg replaced Quick and was beaten on long shots by Demitra and Samuelsson. His playoff debut ended after just two saves.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Quick, also beaten by Edler's sharp angle shot on the shortside late in the first period, returned to the game. Bernier banged in a rebound three minutes later.
Michal Handzus, on a power play, and Fredrik Modin scored for the young Kings, who shook up their bottom three forward lines to little effect.
Justin Williams returned for the first time since being sent from the first line to the press box as a healthy scratch after struggling in Game 1. He played with Handzus and Modin, and fourth-liner Scott Parse came out of the lineup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The new look produced 13 shots through 40 minutes. Los Angeles stayed in it a while with a power play that was clicking at 56.2 percent coming in.
Bernier opened the scoring after a fortuitous bounce off the end boards left him with an open net, but Los Angeles tied it with 5:36 left in the period. Handzus banked his third power-play goal of the series in off defenseman Christian Ehrhoff from a sharp angle after the Canucks failed on a good clear chance.
It was the 10th power-play goal of the series on 18 chances for the Kings. But after the Sedins and Samuelsson combined to create a three-goal cushion, the Canucks killed off two straight penalties, including a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted 28 seconds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The chippy game ended with two fights. Top-line Kings forward Wayne Simmonds scrapped with defenseman Shane O'Brien with 3:45 left, and agitators Rick Rypien and Rich Clune squared off 7 seconds later. Clune appeared to injury his left arm after being taken down, and went straight to the locker room.
NOTES: Quick finished with 21 saves. ... Demitra, demoted to the fourth line early in the series, moved back to the third line after scoring in Game 4. He had a goal and two assists. ... D Andrew Alberts, benched after taking five penalties in the first two games, got back in the lineup after Nolan Baumgartner was hurt in Game 4. ... Rypien replaced LW Tanner Glass on the Canucks fourth line. ... Kings LW Ryan Smyth was penalized twice for goalie interference after making contact with Luongo. ... Drew Doughty, named a Norris Trophy finalist on Friday, is tied with fellow defenseman Jack Johnson with six points to lead the Kings in playoff scoring.