Kings vs Canucks: Quick Crowned King of Shutouts

Does anyone remember why the Canucks hate the Kings so much? Is it because they expected to win it all in 2012 and instead the 8th seed ousted them in 5 games in the first round and went on to win the Cup? Whether that is the case or not, I just like remembering that moment. It took 30 seconds for Henrik Sedin to take offense to a King; McSmash made a legal check on Sedin’s teammate Alex Biega who went down. Sedin instigated a little scuffle and the Kings found themselves with the first power play of the evening. With only one shot officially registered it was a fairly lackluster power play, but never fear, another fight was looming on the horizon. After a battle in front of the net where Jordan Nolan appeared to slip, Andrey Pedan took a few extra jabs Nolan took offense to and the gloves were flying. Mere moments later McSmash and Brandon Prust waited for the puck to drop to drop their gloves. Less of a fight than some twirling around but nonetheless, they both got major penalties.

Next to the box to join his friends was Drew Doughty (alternate captain today with Jeff Carter listed as ‘day-to-day’) and Bo Horvat, each for roughing. (If you can count a couple of love taps to the head roughing.) It was during the 4-on-4 beginning at 8:45 that the Canucks got around to actually playing hockey and their first shot on goal to the Kings 8. By the time Tanner Pearson made it into the box at 12:36 for holding the Kings were outshooting them 11-2 (with a nice sequence involving four Kings with the chance to score a few plays before. No way that won’t come back and bite them, right? Nope! Goal scoring opportunities a-plenty for the Kings this evening.) Finally, at 15:33, the Kings made it on the board first, thanks to some heavy board work by Anze Kopitar and a pass from Milian Lucic that was perhaps meant for Kopitar but who cares! Tyler Toffoli was also in the slot with a snipe right in front of the net that found the back of the net.

With 1:25 remaining in the first period, Jordan Weal found his way into the box for slashing Daniel Sedin. The Kings were outshooting the Canucks 16-5, and were determined to hold their lead going into the intermission. And thanks to Jonathan Quick making some of his signature Jedi Knight moves, they did. And thanks to Jake Muzzin making a stunning stick on stick block on a Canuck who had an empty space to shoot into early into the second. Then the Kings added to said lead, with a stunning shot by Derek Forbert at 1:57 – his first NHL goal! (Technically it was deflected in by Pedan, but since you can’t get credit for scoring on your own team… Oh Vancouver.) Stick tap to Captain Dustin Brown, who was originally credited with the goal, but spoke to one of the refs during the TV time out to make it clear he didn’t actually tip it in and the goal should go to Forbert.

Things almost got even better with a Marian Gaborik breakaway; he fed Pearson but credit Jacob Markstrom for a pretty impressive save. No worries there – the resulting faceoff lead to the next Kings goal! Kopitar won it, Toffoli drew a defenseman away giving McSmash room for a stunner of a shot, passing a lot of traffic to hit the back of the net with some force, exactly 10 minutes after Forbert’s goal. Not enough goals of you? Nope, not enough for the Kings either. Toffoli would get his second of the night 5:55 into the third. Alec Martinez began the play on the boards, backhanding it to anyone at the front of the net. That’d be Toffoli,who found Markstrom barreled over trying to stop a shot from Martinez and a relatively empty net to shoot into. The Canucks didn’t seem to be taking the loss well; their frustrated players added a few more scuffles and a power play for the Kings 12:22 into the third. What’s that? A Tyler Toffoli hat trick? Yes please, he’ll oblige, his second of his career, at 12:56. The shot was Doughty, a blast from the point, that Toffoli redirected for his third of the game. When you’re up 4-0 and Toffoli has 2 goals already, you’re looking to him for the third. Kopitar, it should be noted, notched his fourth assist of the game on that play. (He was also 82% in the faceoff circle.)

With 3:53 remaining Forbert tried to make the game a little more interesting by heading to the penalty box for two minutes; Quick and Martinez stopped the flurry of shots at the end of a long shift. Muzzin again tried to make it interesting by heading to the box himself for high sticking so there was 14 seconds of a 5 on 3, but that was killed easily too by clearing the puck off the faceoff. As the seconds ticked down it became clear that Jonathan Quick was going to tie a NHL record for most shutouts by an American goalie with 40. He’s the only one still active in the NHL. It was a great night all around for the Kings.