Canucks top Kings
VANCOUVER — Ryan Miller recorded 36 saves as the Vancouver Canucks edged the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Miller was unbeatable until late in the third period as the Kings outshot the Canucks 37-20 — including 31-8 over the final 40 minutes.
Returning from the NHL’s Christmas break, the Canucks (15-18-3) earned only their second win in the past five games. The Kings (17-14-4 ) suffered their fourth loss in five games.
Loui Eriksson and Henrik Sedin scored for the Canucks, who converted one of three power-play opportunities while denying the Kings on two.
Tanner Pearson scored for L.A. Peter Budaj took the loss while stopping 18 shots.
Eriksson opened the scoring on a power play 2:43 into the game as he skated the puck out of the corner and beat Budaj with a shot to the far side. The goal came after Bo Horvat, battling a Kings defender along the boards, gave a between-the-legs pass to Eriksson.
With the goal, the Canucks ended the Kings’ consecutive penalty kills streak at 26 — L.A. had gone nine games without allowing a power-play goal. Heading into the game, Vancouver's power play ranked second-last in the NHL with a 12.5 per cent success rate.
Henrik Sedin doubled Vancouver’s lead only 23 seconds into the second period as he deflected in Troy Stecher’s bouncing shot from the point.
The goal was the only one of a raggedy period in which the Kings outshot the Canucks 13-4. Miller stood out as he stopped Trevor Lewis in close after a Vancouver giveaway at the blue-line and robbed Dustin Brown on a one-timer off Anze Kopitar’s sharp-angled shot in the late going.
Pearson spoiled Miller’s shutout bid at 16:43 of the third period, as his shot from the slot deflected off Alex Burrows’ stick and high over Miller. The goal deprived Miller of his first shutout since Oct. 13, 2015.
MAPLE LEAFS 3, PANTHERS 2 (SO)
SUNRISE, Fla. — Mitchell Marner scored in the third round of the shootout to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Rookie Auston Matthews got his team-leading 17th goal and an assist and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen made 45 saves and blanked Florida in the shootout.
Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Marchessault each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo stopped 38 shots.
The Maple Leafs won their fourth straight on the road and improved to 3-0 against the Panthers this season.
Toronto had a potential power-play goal waved off when it was ruled that Nazem Kadri’s right leg made contact with Luongo in the crease before James van Riemsdyk shot the puck in with 3:05 left in the second. The Leafs made up for it about a minute later during another power play. Nylander took a feed from Matthews and blasted a shot from the left circle that beat Luongo on the stick side with 2:06 left to make it 2-0.
Florida’s points leader Aleksander Barkov left the game in the second period and did not return.
LIGHTNING 4, CANADIENS 3 (OT)
TAMPA, Fla. — Tyler Johnson scored his second goal of the game 1:36 into overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Wednesday.
Johnson’s winner from the right circle appeared to go off a Montreal stick and past goalie Carey Price.
Tampa Bay also got goals from Victor Hedman and Ondrej Palat, who combined to tie it at 3-3 in the third. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots.
Shea Weber, Alexander Radulov and Chris Terry scored for the Canadiens, who have lost three in a row. Price made 26 saves.
Soon after Price made a stellar reaching stick save on Palat’s redirection early in the second period, Terry made 3-1 from the low right circle.