Anže Kopitar contributed a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings secured a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night, marking their fourth consecutive win.
Blake Lizotte and Kevin Fiala also found the net for the Kings, with Cam Talbot making 21 saves to secure the win.
“It got a bit tense towards the end, but a couple of crucial saves by Talbot and some blocked shots helped us seal the win. It’s a great feeling to beat such a tough team,” said Los Angeles interim coach Jim Hiller.
Brock Boeser and Sam Lafferty scored for Vancouver, ending their three-game winning streak. Casey DeSmith made 16 saves for the Canucks.
“They’re a strong team, and we knew it would be a challenging game. We’re heading in the right direction, even though it didn’t go our way tonight,” remarked Lafferty.
Vancouver had an opportunity to secure a playoff spot but remained just one point ahead of Colorado and Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Trailing 3-1, the Canucks pulled DeSmith for an extra skater with over four minutes remaining. Boeser managed to reduce the deficit to one with less than three minutes left, but Vancouver couldn’t find the equalizer despite a late power play advantage.
“The games are getting tougher as we approach the end of the season, and this was a good test for us. We need to find ways to win in tight situations like this,” stated Canucks forward J.T. Miller.
The Kings took a 3-1 lead late in the second period with two quick goals. Lizotte scored on a delayed penalty, followed by Kopitar extending the lead shortly after.
The Canucks fought back in the first period with Lafferty’s goal after a Canucks line change mistake. Vancouver’s Elias Lindholm missed the game due to an undisclosed injury, while Ian Cole returned to the lineup after being sidelined for two games.
