The Los Angeles Kings have been one of the strongest clubs in the NHL since the trade deadline, and they didn't let their status as a No. 8 seed in the Western Conference deter them against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night. Mike Richards led the Kings into Rogers Arena, where they used a late Dustin Penner goal to pull out what ultimately became a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Canucks Vs. Kings, NHL Playoffs 2012 Game 1: Dustin Penner Scores Late Game-Winner, L.A. Up 1-0
Yeah, I think Jeff Carter meant to kick that puck over to Dustin Penner. Crazy skilled, crazy goal. Game-winning goal, in fact. Dustin Brown sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 18 seconds left in the game.
Special teams play was big in this one. The Kings killed off five Vancouver power play attempts while scoring on two of their own eight attempts. The real winner in this one, however, is the Los Angeles Kings’ official Twitter account. And apparently the majority of Canada:
To everyone in Canada outside of BC, you're welcome.
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 12, 2012
Stick with SBNation.com for full series coverage of Kings vs. Canucks. For more on the Kings, check out Los Angeles Kings blog Jewels From The Crown and SB Nation LA. For more on the Canucks, head over to Vancouver Canucks blog Nucks Misconduct. We’ll have coverage of every playoff series at SB Nation’s NHL Hub.
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