On a goal by TeemuThe Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are tied at the end of the second period of their important match-up at Honda Center. The Ducks need a win to clinch a playoff spot. The Kings are looking to keep pace with the fourth seed, after the Nashville Predators reclaimed it following a 4-1 win over Columbus. A win would put Los Angeles back in the fourth seed, but the Ducks need a win to get in the post-season. The shots are 20-16 Anaheim.
Kings Vs. Ducks: Teemu Selanne Ties It For Anaheim In Potential Clincher
Selanne got his 30th goal - and his 10th 30-goal season - at 9:55 of the second period. It came on the rebound of a Luca Sbisa shot. Selanne picked a corner the way he has for so many years and tied the game. He has been the best player on the ice for Anaheim by a large margin. Selanne is now in sole possession of 27th place on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,339 points.
The best Kings chance of the period came when Jarret Stoll hit the post a little more than 14 minutes in during the Kings’ only power play. Mostly, they just sought to control the tempo that the Ducks had so clearly gotten more of. Their defense - along with goaltender Jonathan Quick - has been solely keeping them in this game. Meanwhile, Dan Ellis stabilized in the second, making some solid saves during that penalty kill. Quick has made 19 saves so far, while Ellis has made 15.
Somewhat surprising for a game of this import, we saw our first fight in the second period. George Parros and Kevin Westgarth dropped the gloves at 2:59. Parros got in the better shots and would likely be declared the winner on a technicality, but much of it was a wrestling match. Interesting note: Both fighters are graduates of Princeton University.
The Ducks had one power play in the second period, their second of the game, on a slash by Brad Richardson at 10:32. Anaheim failed to convert. They are now 0-for-2 on the man advantage. The Kings got their first power play opportunity when Luca Sbisa got called for tripping at 14:16. They were unsuccessful. The two clubs went four-on-four at 4:27 of the period when Dustin Penner and Jarkko Ruutu both received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Ruutu later received a 10-minute misconduct following a verbal tussle with Drew Doughty. Ironically, the 10-minute penalty kept the Ducks from having to go 3-on-5.
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