Canucks 3, Kings 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jared McCann scored the winning goal and Ryan Miller recorded 40 saves -- including 20 in the third period -- as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Monday night.
McCann's goal on a breakaway at 19:27 of the second period stood up as the winner as the Canucks (30-36-13) posted their third consecutive win. Before Monday, Vancouver failed in eight attempts to record a three-game win streak.
The Kings (46-28-5) absorbed their sixth loss in eight games and missed a chance to move into first place in the Pacific Division ahead of the Anaheim Ducks.
McCann, a 19-year-old rookie, scored for only the second time in 36 games. He was converted into a left winger from his usual center position because of a lack of strength in the faceoff circle.
After McCann broke a 2-2 tie, Miller shut out the Kings in the third period.
Emerson Etem and Jannik Hansen also tallied for the Canucks.
Tyler Toffoli and Kyle Clifford scored for Los Angeles. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 21 saves.
The score was tied 1-1 after the first period and the Canucks led 3-2 after the second.
Toffoli opened the scoring at the six-minute mark of the first as he put in the rebound off a Drew Doughty shot from a sharp angle. Miller lost track of the puck, and the unmarked Toffoli tapped it into an open net.
The Kings had a chance to go ahead while they were short-handed, but Miller robbed Toffoli on a breakaway as he attempted a backhand deke.
Los Angeles controlled most of the play in the opening 20 minutes, enjoying a decisive edge in shots. But the Canucks got lucky with 13 seconds left in the first as Derek Dorsett's snap shot went in off Etem. The goal was the second in two games for Etem, who now has five on the season.
Clifford put the Kings ahead 2-1 at 9:15 of the second period as he tapped in a cross-ice pass from Andy Andreoff on a two-on-one after the left winger waited for a teammate to catch up with him.
Hansen drew the Canucks even on a five-on-three power play at 14:22 of the second period, firing in Henrik Sedin's pass across the goalmouth. The right winger made good after flubbing a pass on a virtually identical play moments earlier.
NOTES: Vancouver rookie RW Jake Virtanen returned to the lineup after completing a two-game suspension for a late hit on San Jose's Roman Polak. ... Los Angeles' Darryl Sutter served in his 1,200th NHL game as a head coach. ... Canucks LW Derek Dorsett returned to action after missing four games with an upper-body injury. ... Kings D Alec Martinez sat out due to an undisclosed injury. Sutter declined to provide an update. "You'll get nothing from (the) coaching staff for the rest of the year, until September, about the status regarding players," Sutter said. ... As a result of the injury to Martinez, D Jamie McBain drew into the Kings lineup for the first time since Feb. 27 against Buffalo. He was a healthy scratch for 18 consecutive games.