Anaheim goaltender John Gibson survived a late Los Angeles rally as the Ducks eked out a 4-3 Game 5 victory over the Kings on Monday to edge ahead in their Western Conference semi-final series.
The 20-year-old Gibson made 39 saves in just his second post-season start to give the Ducks a third consecutive win against the Kings and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Anaheim, on home ice, appeared in firm control with a 4-1 lead in the second period, before Marian Gaborik scored late in the second and added another in the third to pull Los Angeles within a goal of tying the game.
Gaborik now has eight playoff goals.
However, Gibson, who made his playoff debut in Game 4 and has yet to lose in five starts for the Ducks, withstood the pressure to position his team one win from the Western Conference finals.
“To win four games against this team is going to be the toughest job our team ever had,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters. “They’re such emotional games when you’re playing the Kings. It’s hard to keep everybody calm on the bench when the crowd is going nuts, and the play is pretty fast and furious.”
Devante Smith-Pelly netted a pair of goals for Anaheim, who also received scores from Nick Bonino and Jakob Silfverberg.
With three second-period goals Anaheim skated well in front and built enough cushion to absorb the Kings’ late push.
“They have been a very opportunistic team,” Kings right winger Dustin Brown said. “I believe it was in Game 3 that we gave up maybe two odd-man rushes and they scored on both of them. That is a credit to being opportunistic, but when we are playing our hockey we don’t give up odd-man rushes.”
Game 6 is in Los Angeles today.
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