gusman
04-16-2010, 05:23 AM
from nhl.com
Dave Lozo - NHL.com Staff Writer
VANCOUVER -- Mikael Samuelsson scored his second goal of the game 8:52 into overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night in the opener of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series.
NHL scoring champion Henrik Sedin set up shop behind the Kings net and found Samuelsson all alone in the slot. Samuelsson one-timed a shot over the catching glove of goaltender Jonathan Quick to send the sellout crowd of 18,810 at GM Place into a frenzy.
Samuelsson's heroics were only made possible thanks to an amazing stop by Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Luongo made the save of the night six minutes into overtime. He stopped a blast from the point, but the rebound found Kings veteran Ryan Smyth, who had a gaping net to shoot at. However, Luongo slowed it with his blocker, then swept the puck off the goal line with his catching glove.
Luongo made 25 saves to earn the win. Jonathan Quick, who had his struggles over the final month, was at the top of his game. He made 41 saves, including 37 in regulation and a game-saver on Daniel Sedin earlier in OT.
Quick was sensational in the first period, stopping all 16 shots he faced. His biggest and best save came with the Canucks on a power play. A rebound caromed out to the slot to Samuelsson, who was all alone and in perfect shooting position. But Quick got his catching glove on the shot and deflected it over the net to keep the game scoreless.
It was the kind of performance that had eluded Quick for most of the last month. The 24-year-old entered Game 1 with just one regulation victory since March 20 and was 4-7-4 after the Olympic break.
The Kings capitalized on a power play early in the second period to take a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Andrew Alberts took an interference penalty with 8.6 seconds left in the first period, and Jarret Stoll made the Canucks pay by ripping a shot over Luongo's blocker 54 seconds into the second period.
Samuelsson tied the score 2:15 later, also on the power play -- but not before Quick stopped him for a second time from the slot. However, after the ensuing faceoff, Samuelsson would not be denied a third time. He gathered a rebound from nearly the same spot he was stoned seconds earlier and found room between Quick's blocker arm and body.
The Sedin twins came together at 8:31 of the second period to put the Canucks on top. Henrik fed Daniel, who was streaking down the left wing and into the Kings zone. Daniel gathered in the pass, cut in front of the crease to his backhand, and lifted the puck over Quick's catching glove to make it 2-1 Canucks.
That's when Alberts let the Kings back in the game. He slammed Kings center Brad Richardson from behind along the boards and was slapped with a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. The Canucks seemed to be in complete control after their two goals in 5:22, but Los Angeles capitalized on Alberts' bad penalty.
L.A. scored less than two minutes into the major penalty to tie the score at 2-2, when Fredrik Modin snapped a one-timer past Luongo's glove. Modin, who won a Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, took a well-placed pass from Alexander Frolov from behind the net and fired before Luongo could set up.
The Canucks completely dominated play in the third period, outshooting Los Angeles 13-2, but couldn't find a way to get another puck past Quick.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night at GM Place.
Shift of the Game: Fredrik Modin's power-play goal midway through the second period tied the score at 2-2, but it wouldn't have been possible without the work of Kings captain Dustin Brown. The Canucks had multiple chances to clear the zone, but Brown fought to keep the puck in, then worked his way down the boards with the puck before dishing it off to Alexander Frolov. He slid the puck to Modin, who ripped it past Roberto Luongo from the slot to even the score. Without Brown's work along the boards near the top of the zone, Modin doesn't score. Brown definitely earned his secondary assist on the goal.
Dave Lozo - NHL.com Staff Writer
VANCOUVER -- Mikael Samuelsson scored his second goal of the game 8:52 into overtime to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night in the opener of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series.
NHL scoring champion Henrik Sedin set up shop behind the Kings net and found Samuelsson all alone in the slot. Samuelsson one-timed a shot over the catching glove of goaltender Jonathan Quick to send the sellout crowd of 18,810 at GM Place into a frenzy.
Samuelsson's heroics were only made possible thanks to an amazing stop by Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
Luongo made the save of the night six minutes into overtime. He stopped a blast from the point, but the rebound found Kings veteran Ryan Smyth, who had a gaping net to shoot at. However, Luongo slowed it with his blocker, then swept the puck off the goal line with his catching glove.
Luongo made 25 saves to earn the win. Jonathan Quick, who had his struggles over the final month, was at the top of his game. He made 41 saves, including 37 in regulation and a game-saver on Daniel Sedin earlier in OT.
Quick was sensational in the first period, stopping all 16 shots he faced. His biggest and best save came with the Canucks on a power play. A rebound caromed out to the slot to Samuelsson, who was all alone and in perfect shooting position. But Quick got his catching glove on the shot and deflected it over the net to keep the game scoreless.
It was the kind of performance that had eluded Quick for most of the last month. The 24-year-old entered Game 1 with just one regulation victory since March 20 and was 4-7-4 after the Olympic break.
The Kings capitalized on a power play early in the second period to take a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Andrew Alberts took an interference penalty with 8.6 seconds left in the first period, and Jarret Stoll made the Canucks pay by ripping a shot over Luongo's blocker 54 seconds into the second period.
Samuelsson tied the score 2:15 later, also on the power play -- but not before Quick stopped him for a second time from the slot. However, after the ensuing faceoff, Samuelsson would not be denied a third time. He gathered a rebound from nearly the same spot he was stoned seconds earlier and found room between Quick's blocker arm and body.
The Sedin twins came together at 8:31 of the second period to put the Canucks on top. Henrik fed Daniel, who was streaking down the left wing and into the Kings zone. Daniel gathered in the pass, cut in front of the crease to his backhand, and lifted the puck over Quick's catching glove to make it 2-1 Canucks.
That's when Alberts let the Kings back in the game. He slammed Kings center Brad Richardson from behind along the boards and was slapped with a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. The Canucks seemed to be in complete control after their two goals in 5:22, but Los Angeles capitalized on Alberts' bad penalty.
L.A. scored less than two minutes into the major penalty to tie the score at 2-2, when Fredrik Modin snapped a one-timer past Luongo's glove. Modin, who won a Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, took a well-placed pass from Alexander Frolov from behind the net and fired before Luongo could set up.
The Canucks completely dominated play in the third period, outshooting Los Angeles 13-2, but couldn't find a way to get another puck past Quick.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night at GM Place.
Shift of the Game: Fredrik Modin's power-play goal midway through the second period tied the score at 2-2, but it wouldn't have been possible without the work of Kings captain Dustin Brown. The Canucks had multiple chances to clear the zone, but Brown fought to keep the puck in, then worked his way down the boards with the puck before dishing it off to Alexander Frolov. He slid the puck to Modin, who ripped it past Roberto Luongo from the slot to even the score. Without Brown's work along the boards near the top of the zone, Modin doesn't score. Brown definitely earned his secondary assist on the goal.