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.
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