Kings Blow Early Lead, Lose Third Straight

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sven Baertschi scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play early in the third period and the Vancouver Canucks wrapped up a four-game road trip by sending the Los Angeles Kings to their third consecutive loss, 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Henrik Sedin and Bo Horvat scored second-period goals for the Canucks, who had lost two straight and five of seven. Anders Nilsson overcame a rough start to make 30 saves in his first appearance since Oct. 26 as Vancouver knocked off the Pacific Division leaders.

Tanner Pearson scored in the opening minute and Anze Kopitar extended his point streak to nine games with a power-play goal moments later for the Kings, who hadn't lost three straight since Feb. 16-19.

Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots, but Los Angeles remained winless three games into a five-game homestand after blowing a two-goal lead against the inconsistent Canucks.

Vancouver was 2 for 21 on the power play over its past six games before improbably scoring twice against the Kings, who had the NHL's best penalty-killing percentage entering the game. Horvat scored the tying goal on a power play late in the second period.

With Kings forward Andrew Crescenzi in the penalty box during his NHL debut, Baertschi took a cross-ice pass from Thomas Vanek and caught Quick leaning the wrong way for his sixth goal of the season.

Nilsson had sat out the previous seven games behind Jacob Markstrom, and he got off to a shaky start when Pearson slipped an innocent shot past his short side just 23 seconds in. Kopitar doubled the Kings' lead 3:14 in with his ninth goal of a resurgent season.

Henrik Sedin got the Canucks on the board early in the second with a shot that banked in off the posterior of Kings forward Nick Shore. Horvat evened it with a rebound goal after Brock Boeser's shot, and Sedin also got an assist for the 250th multipoint game of his career.

Quick stopped a penalty shot by Brandon Sutter later in the second.

NOTES: Hours before the game, Los Angeles traded Mike Cammalleri to the Edmonton Oilers for fellow forward Jussi Jokinen. Cammalleri's second stint with the Kings lasted just 15 games after the 35-year-old veteran became frustrated with his role. Jokinen has just one point in 14 games for Edmonton, but Kings GM Rob Blake expects him to provide stability on their depth lines. ... Before Sutter's second-period penalty shot, Vancouver had just one penalty shot against Los Angeles in franchise history: Kelly Hrudey stopped Pavel Bure on Oct. 6, 1993. ... Vancouver C Brendan Gaunce returned to the lineup and Alexander Burmistrov was scratched. ... D Christian Folin returned to the Kings' lineup after three games as a scratch. Rookie D Kurtis MacDermid was scratched for the first time since Oct. 23.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Host Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Kings: Host Boston Bruins on Thursday.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)