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Kesler's late heroics help Canucks avoid season sweep

Mar 11, 2008 - 6:14 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Ryan Kesler helped the Vancouver Canucks avoid being swept by the lowly Los Angeles Kings for the first time in 27 years.

Kesler tied the game late in regulation and scored 46 seconds into overtime as the Canucks posted a 2-1 victory over the Kings on Monday.

Vancouver, which outshot Los Angeles, 40-17, finally broke through thanks to Kesler.

"We had so many opportunities to score and finally we were able to capitalize at the end of the game," Kesler said.

The Kings appeared on the verge of recording their first sweep of the Canucks since the 1980-81 season, but Kesler was clutch when it mattered most.

"This was a fun game," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We are glad that we don't play them again. Two clutch guys came up big to get us this win. We are a tough team to beat when we are firing on all cylinders."

Alex Burrows recorded a pair of assists and Roberto Luongo stopped 17 shots for Vancouver (35-24-10), which moved two points ahead of idle Nashville (35-27-8) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"We wanted this win and we got it," Burrows said. "We are happy with the much needed win, we never gave up and kept playing hard. It was a huge win for us."

Former Canuck Dan Cloutier stopped 38 shots for Los Angeles, which took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Patrick O'Sullivan at 8:27 of the third period.

"I felt pretty good coming into the game," Cloutier said. "We're playing against a pretty hungry team that's fighting for their lives, but we played 58 minutes again tonight."

But Vancouver forged a tie late in the session. Burrows fired a shot that Cloutier was unable to control as he got tangled with his own defenseman, and Kesler took advantage by sending a backhander into the right side of the net with 2:41 remaining to knot the contest at 1-1.

"We made a young mistake at the end of the game," Kings coach Marc Crawford said. "We had full possession of the puck twice in our zone, but threw the puck away. That's what happens when you have youth in your lineup."

In overtime, Kesler ended it quickly with his 19th goal as he redirected defenseman Willie Mitchell's slap shot from the point into the left side of the net.

Los Angeles, which has a league-worst 60 points, failed to hold the lead O'Sullivan created. The 23-year-old snapped a scoreless tie when he took a cross-ice pass from Dustin Brown and fired a shot over Luongo's right shoulder for his 19th goal of the season.