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(Sunday, April 22nd) Final Score: Los Angeles 2, Vancouver 1 (OT) Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Jarret Stoll lifted the Kings to their first playoff series win since 2001 with his game-winner 4:27 into overtime as Los Angeles defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, in Game 5 at Rogers Arena. Brad Richardson netted the other goal for the Kings, who won the first three games of the series before Wednesday's setback in Vancouver in this Western Conference quarterfinal. Jonathan Quick made 26 saves as Los Angeles became the 10th No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 since the current playoff format began in 1994. The Kings will now face St. Louis in the semifinals after the Blues advanced with a 4-1 series win over San Jose. Henrik Sedin lit the lamp, while Cory Schneider stopped 35-of-37 shots for the Canucks, who became the sixth Presidents' Trophy winner to be eliminated in the first round, joining the 1990-91 Chicago Blackhawks, 1999-2000 St. Louis Blues, 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings, 2008-09 San Jose Sharks and 2009-10 Washington Capitals. "You can't give away two games like we did at home this series. That's what we did so good last year. Even though we didn't play great, we were playing good enough to win games," said Sedin. Los Angeles entered the third period trailing, 1-0, and failed to convert on an early power play when Sedin was called for hooking just 30 seconds into the third, but was able to net the equalizer at the 3:21 mark of the period. Drew Doughty gained the Vancouver blue line before sweeping around the right side of the zone. After reaching the goal line in the right corner, Doughty sent a pass to Richardson in the slot and he stuffed the puck past Schneider to knot the game at a goal apiece. Richardson later beat Schneider with a backhanded attempt from the slot, but the puck bounced off the left post. Schneider then stopped a Stoll wrister from the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush with less than four minutes remaining in regulation to keep it a 1-1 game and force overtime. Both teams had a chance to end the game early in the extra period as the Kings' Jeff Carter was left all alone in front of the net and lifted a wrister over the net before Vancouver's Mason Raymond had a wraparound attempt stopped by the sprawling left pad of Quick. Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis then had the puck stolen away from him by Trevor Lewis in the neutral zone, resulting in Stoll grabbing the loose puck and moving into the Vancouver zone on a 2-on-1 rush. Stoll then cruised down the left side of the ice and fired a wrister from the left circle that beat Schneider to the short side for the series-clinching goal. "This organization hasn't had success in a while. We've got to the playoffs and haven't gotten out of the first round," Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell said. "It's our time to take that next step as an organization and you have to do that against good teams." After the Kings failed to capitalize on two early power plays in the first period, Vancouver was awarded a pair of power plays near the midpoint of the frame. The Canucks would not score during their first man advantage, but would tally the game's first goal after Richardson was whistled for roughing. Daniel Sedin received a pass in the right corner and held the puck for a moment before sending a cross-ice pass to his brother Henrik, who chipped the puck into the open net with 5:56 remaining. Los Angeles had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds when Anze Kopitar stole the puck near his own blue line and raced down the ice on a breakaway, but his wrister was kicked aside by Schneider right before the horn sounded to keep it a 1-0 game. The second period then passed scoreless as each goaltender made 10 saves to keep it a one-goal game. Los Angeles controlled the first five minutes, but was then forced to kill off two straight penalties as Rob Scuderi was called for cross checking at the 4:47 mark and Dwight King went to the penalty box for tripping at 7:04. Quick, though, allowed both man advantages to pass without the Canucks netting an insurance goal, including making a point-blank save on a Ryan Kesler backhander during the second power play. Schneider denied a rebound attempt in front from Mike Richards with a sweeping glove save before Daniel Sedin broke down the rink on a breakaway after a home-run pass from Henrik with a little over two minutes left in the second that Quick stopped with his right pad. Game Notes Los Angeles' last playoff series win came against the Detroit Red Wings in six games. They then lost a seven-game series to the Colorado Avalanche, who eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup...Los Angeles went 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Canucks went 1-for-4 on the man advantage...Stoll's goal was his second of the playoffs. 04/23 01:25:53 ET Powered by The Sports Network. |