By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

March 19, 2023

Vancouver Canucks (30-33-5), 6th in the Pacific Division) defeated the Los Angeles Kings (40-20-10), 2nd in the Pacific Division) 3-2 in a shootout in the second game of a three-game road trip.

Vancouver is 6-1-0 in their last 7-games and conclude the road trip tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks, then head home for a short 2-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks.

Los Angeles moved into a tie with the Vegas Golden Knights, who were idle and have one game in hand, for first place in the Pacific Division.

Game Review

• Brock Boeser scored in the opening period to make it 1-0 for the Canucks, and Elias Pettersson scored a power play goal in the 3rd period to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead with less than eight minutes left.
• Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller had two assists each. Miller capped off his game with the winning shot in the shootout.
• Andrei Kuzmenko also scored in the shootout.
• Thatcher Demko was in All-Star form, stopping 38 of 40 shots faced for a .950 SV% (Save Percentage).
• Special teams: Power Play was 1 for 1; Penalty Kill 2 for 2.
• Demko saved a penalty shot by Adrian Kempe midway through the second period.

Miller and Andrei Kuzmenko converted in the shootout. Demko denied both Los Angeles attempts.

Carl Grundstrom and Alex Edler scored for the Kings, who earned one point and moved into a tie with Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division. Joonas Korpisalo made 15 saves.

Los Angeles hasn’t lost in regulation in its past nine games and is 12-2-3 since the All-Star break. But in the shootout, Gabe Vilardi fired over the net and Trevor Moore was stopped by Demko.

Pettersson buried a shot from the right circle seven seconds into Vancouver’s only power play of the night to tie it at 2-2 midway through the third period.