GAME ESSENTIALS
WHAT HAPPENED
For the second straight night in Southern California, the Canucks built an early lead but were overpowered by a stronger team as the Anaheim Ducks scored late in regulation to tie it and late in overtime to win 4- 3. Vancouver went ahead 2- 0 with a pair of power play goals. But injuries are catching up to the Canucks, who appeared to lack both the energy and determination to keep carrying the game to the Ducks and were outshot 44- 8 after the fi rst period. Only goalie Eddie Lack, right, kept Vancouver from losing in regulation.
HURT PARADE
With goalie Roberto Luongo out after injuring his right foot or ankle in Saturday’s 3- 1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings and key winger Chris Higgins down with the fl u — and defencemen Alex Edler ( knee), Ryan Stanton, and winger Alex Burrows ( jaw) out long- term — absences appeared to reach a critical mass when winger Zack Kassian, right, left the game in the middle period after getting hit in the face by teammate Tom Sestito’s boot. Coach John Tortorella’s heavy reliance on a handful of players is problematic in back- toback games.
NUMBERS
After opening December 10- 1- 1, the Canucks have lost four straight games, their secondlongest nosedive of the season. ... The power play generated more than one goal in a game for just the second time this season. ... After combining to go minus- fi ve against the Kings, the defence duo of Kevin Bieksa and Jason Garrison were minus- four against the Ducks. ... The Canucks surrendered 49 shots in consecutive games after never allowing more than 41 before the weekend. ... Daniel and Henrik Sedin, right, had three points each.
WHO IS ROB LAURIE?
With Luongo hurt and third- stringer Joacim Eriksson far away in the minors, the Canucks dialed 9- 1- 1 to sign Corona, Calif., beer-leaguer Rob Laurie as Sunday’s backup. The former minor- leaguer knows Canuck assistant GM Lorne Henning, whose son plays with Laurie. The manager of a company that sells goalie equipment online, Laurie was at lunch when Henning called. “I had Lorne’s number in my phone,” Laurie, 43, said. “It rang and said ‘ Lorne,’ so I knew right away something was up. It got my heart beating a little bit.”