LOS ANGELES — Vancouver rookie Elias Pettersson scored his 13th goal of the season and helped the Canucks snap an eight-game winless streak with a 4-2 victory over the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Pettersson stole a long, cross-ice pass by Dion Phaneuf inside the red line for a breakaway and fired it past Los Angeles goalie Cal Petersen midway into the third period.
Adam Gaudette and Sam Gagner also scored for the Canucks, and Tyler Motte added an empty-net goal. Goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 shots.
Drew Doughty and Matt Luff scored for the Kings, whose 7-14-1 record is the worst in the NHL. Petersen stopped 26 shots.
After a scoreless opening period, both teams scored twice in the second period.
The Kings tied it at 2-2 when Luff broke free on a breakaway. Luff faked a backhand to pull Markstrom out and then snapped in the shot behind him. It was his third goal of the season.
Both teams converted on power plays earlier in the period.
Vancouver took a 2-1 lead on some bang-bang passing. Pettersson snapped a short pass to Bo Horvat just outside the net, who deflected it to Sam Gagner six feet outside the crease. Gagner fired in the puck for his first goal of the season.
The Kings ended an 0-for-16 streak on the power play when Doughty drilled a shot through traffic and off Vancouver’s Christopher Tanev for his second goal of the season.
The Canucks opened the scoring with the first career goal from Gaudette. Jake Virtanen fought free and fed to Gaudette, who was alone on the opposite side of the net. The 22-year-old Gaudette quickly slipped the puck past Petersen.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Switch roles and play host to the Kings on Tuesday.
Kings: Complete a three-game homestand Sunday against Edmonton.
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The Associated Press
