Kings-Canucks after one: 1-1
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Scott Parse scored his first NHL goal to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at 11:27 of the first period, but Vancouver came back late in the period to pull even despite being outshot, 12-4, in the opening period.
Anze Kopitar — unseated as the NHL’s scoring leader by a three-point performance Thursday from Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin — hit the post with a long wrist shot at 3:25, but the Kings beat the goaltender and the post at 11:27.
Parse, who had shot the puck into the zone, finished off the sequence by taking a fine pass off the right-wing boards from Teddy Purcell and firing a high shot from the inner edge of the right circle.
A mistake by the Kings in their own end set up the tying goal. Rob Scuderi made a simple pass to Drew Doughty, who was at the right-wing boards, but Henrik Sedin rode Doughty off the puck and took control. Sedin sent the puck behind the net to Alexandre[cq] Burrows, and he threw it out in front. Mikael Samuelsson, the former Red Wing who left Detroit as a free agent last summer, rifled a shot past Jonathan Quick from the hash marks at 18:36.
The period was marked by a lot of jawing and pushing after the whistle, though none of the hostilities escalated beyond that.
The Kings had two power plays, getting one shot on the first advantage and four on the second advantage but they couldn’t convert either time.
Two other noteworthy events in the first period:
- Kings Coach Terry Murray changed up his defense pairs, breaking up the Drew Doughty-Sean O’Donnell tandem to put O’Donnell with Jack Johnson, while pairing and Scuderi with Doughty. He left Davis Drewiske with Matt Greene.
*The Kings saluted longtime referee Kerry Fraser, who is in his final NHL season, and the crowd offered up some cheers. Fraser might not be the NHL’s best referee but he would surely win any vote for the best hair.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports
-- Helene Elliott