Henrik Sedin scored twice in the final period to help the Vancouver Canucks reel off another home victory with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.
The win was the Canucks’ eighth consecutive on their home ice, the first time they have won enjoyed a streak that long since the 2006-2007 season.
With the game tied at 2-2, Sedin put the home team ahead at 8:44 in the third before slamming home the clincher just 30 seconds later.
PHOTO: AP
“[On the second goal] I saw the defense coming, it was a weak shot but it was able to go in,” Sedin said. “We were able to get the first couple goals of the game, which was huge for us.”
Alexander Frolov scored his 28th goal of the year at 6:50 in the third for the Kings, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
After Frolov’s score made it 2-1, Anze Kopitar tied things up with a wrister just 26 seconds later.
The Canucks (35-23-9), fifth in the competitive Western Conference, had lost two straight games before again finding their comfort zone at home.
Alexander Burrows and Mats Sundin gave Vancouver an early two-goal cushion and the Canucks avoided too many penalties, a key ingredient to their success.
“We’ve been showing discipline and staying away with the penalties that do nothing for you,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. “I’m looking at all the games on TV each night and all the games are so competitive. I don’t think the NHL has ever been as competitive as it is now. I think everyone is excited about it.”
Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo finished with 24 saves while Kings netminder Jonathan Quick had 28.
BLUE JACKETS 5, BLACKHAWKS 3
At Chicago, Antoine Vermette scored two goals and backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz made 27 saves to lead Columbus over Chicago for their fourth straight victory.
Kristian Huselius, Raffi Torres and Rick Nash also scored for Columbus, sixth in the Western Conference in their bid to make the playoffs for the first time.
Vermette has three goals and three assists in four games since joining Colombus from Ottawa.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care