VANCOUVER, B.C. - Henrik Sedin continued his torrid pace Thursday, scoring the winning goal as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 for their third win in four games.
Sedin gave Vancouver the lead by winning a face-off in the Kings' zone early in the third period. The puck came back to Alex Edler, whose point shot was too hot to control for goalie Jonathan Quick.
Sedin was in perfect position for the rebound and scored his seventh goal in eight games to snap a 1-1 tie.
The goal came after Wayne Simmonds beat Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo, who finished with 31 saves, in the final minute of the second period.
Tanner Glass provided insurance 3:24 after the go-ahead goal when he deflected Steve Bernier's shot on net then scored on the rebound.
Kyle Wellwood, who hit the post in the final minute, got an empty-net goal, his first of the season, to complete the scoring. The goal drew the loudest reaction from the crowd of 18,818 at GM Place.
Alex Burrows ended a six-game slump by giving Vancouver a 1-0 first-period lead.
The Canucks, getting healthier after losing more than 100 man-games to injuries, improved to 13-11-0 and moved closer to a playoff position in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles slipped to 14-10-2 with their third loss in four games - all without second-leading scorer Ryan Smyth, who is sidelined by an upper-body injury.
The teams were tied 1-1 through 40 minutes after Simmonds scored in the final minute of a second period in which the Kings had more quality chances than Vancouver.
Simmonds was unchecked at the side of the net when the rebound of Randy Jones's weak shot hit teammate Scott Parse in front of Luongo.
The puck bounced to Simmonds who had a half-open goal to shoot at for his second goal in two games and seventh of the season. He also hit a post in the third period.
Burrows, with only an empty-net goal in his last 18 games, gave Vancouver the early lead with his fifth of the season.
Daniel Sedin, playing his second game after missing 18 with a foot fracture, feathered a pass through Quick's crease and Burrows tipped it in after eluding Drew Doughty's check.
The goal came after the alert Quick stopped Kevin Bieksa's deflection of a Mason Raymond pass from the left wing.
Both goalies made solid saves in the period. Quick snared Ryan Kesler's power-play shot and Luongo smothered Parse's break-in after the Kings skater stepped out of the penalty box.
Glass came close to adding to Vancouver's lead while the Canucks were short-handed but his backhand hit the post.
Luongo was at his best in the second period when he foiled Teddy Purcell who was in alone on the Canuck netminder when a Bieksa outlet pass hit a skate.
Luongo was on his back when he extended his glove to grab the puck. A video review determined it did not cross the goal-line. He later out-guessed Justin Williams on a close-in chance.
