Darcy Kuemper stopped all 19 shots to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena on a brutal Thursday night.
According to NHL.com, the win snapped a four-game losing streak for Los Angeles and moved the Kings to within one point of the second Western Conference wild-card spot.
For the Kings, it was the consecutive wins needed for a team in the playoff race. Kuemper's clean sheet was his 3rd of the season and the 39th shutout of his career.
For the Canucks, it looked like the franchise going through the rounds holding the rope. In fact, the score could have been worse. Kevin Lankinen made 34 saves, and that number tells only a part of it.
The Kings were bigger, heavier and more direct, and it continued to force the Canucks into defensive changes that made the shutout inevitable.
sovereign king
At 17:34 of the first period, Scott Laughton opened the scoring on a power play with a deflection in front, following a byfield shot from the right circle.
Earlier, Kuemper had put up a big stop on Teddy Blueger in the slot, and on reflection, that was the beginning and end of the night for the Canucks.
Moore made it 2-0 just 1:21 in on another tip puck across the crease. Artemi Panarin made it 3–0 with 39 seconds remaining after Adrian Kempe forced Jake DeBrusk into a neutral-zone turnover.
The Kings outshot the Canucks 32–12 over two periods, and Canucks coach Adam Foote said Los Angeles came out "big, heavy on the puck, and mean and hungry". This looks exactly like the game was supposed to look like.
The Canucks never created enough offensive-zone time, and when they finally got a decent look late, Kuemper put aside a Drew O'Connor redirect from the top of the crease.
Soon after, Byfield finished it off with a goal into the empty net. Ordinary hockey defeated hopeful hockey.
familiar ending
The Canucks have now lost four in a row and end their eight-game homestand at 2-6-0. They have shut out 14 of their last 17, and it was the sixth time the club was shut out this season, including a fifth home shutout that set a franchise record.
For Canucks fans, now comes the hard part. It's not just about losing. What little room this team leaves for itself once the game starts to tilt in the wrong direction.
