Kings after one: Canucks 2, Kings 0

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The Kings’ lineup changes for Game 2 -- inserting Wayne Simmonds on the top line, Richard Clune and Scott Parse on the fourth line and Peter Harrold on defense in place of Justin Williams, Randy Jones and Raitis Ivanan -- didn’t help at all in the first period. The Canucks scored twice on their first four shots at Jonathan Quick and though they didn’t get another shot in the period they took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

The Kings squandered an early power play after Dustin Brown sold a mild crosscheck committed by Andrew Alberts, but the Canucks capitalized on their first power play.

Ryan Smyth was serving an interference penalty when the Canucks controlled the puck in the Kings’ end, with Christian Ehrhoff passing to center Kyle Wellwood, who relayed it back to Ryan Kesler. Quick made the first save but Steve Bernier shoved the puck into the net at 7:33 during a scramble in front.

Quick made a good save on an Alex Burrows deflection about a minute later, and Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo matched that with a lunging save on a shot by Brown as the Kings’ captain drove to the net. Luongo flexed his right knee several times after he rose, but he seemed to be fine.

No doubt he felt better when his teammates gave him a 2-0 lead, at 9:49. Mikael Samuelsson, who scored twice in the series opener, officially took on the title of King killer when he carried the puck up the middle of the ice and took a long, ice-skimming shot that skipped past Quick from about 50 feet.

Not a good beginning for the Kings, who were hoping for a split here before the series returns to Staples Center for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday.

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

--Helene Elliott, reporting from Vancouver, Canada