Bubla Scores With Two Seconds Left as Canucks Defeat Kings, 5-4

The Vancouver Canucks were one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League last season, finishing 18th in the 21-team league. They were so bad that their fans came to games wearing paper bags over their heads.

But the Canucks look like they have turned it around this season under new Coach Tom Watt, who succeeded Coach/General Manager Harry Neale.

The Canucks (3-1-1) extended their unbeaten streak to three games with a 5-4 win over the Kings Friday night before 9,777 fans at the Pacific Coliseum.

It was the second time in eight days that Vancouver had beaten the Kings (1-4-0). Vancouver beat the Kings, 6-5, in the season opener at the Forum.

Defenseman Jiri Bubla, who had missed the Canucks’ first four games with a rib injury, scored the winning goal with two seconds left in the game when he scored on a backhand shot from about 15 feet away. Bubla also scored a power-play goal in the first period.

Leading, 3-2, after center Gary Lupul scored with five seconds left in the second period, the Canucks took a two-goal lead when Petri Skriko scored a power-play goal at 4:08 of the third period.

But the Kings scored twice to tie it at 4-4 and the game looked like it was headed for overtime until Bubla’s second goal.

First, the Kings cut it to 4-3 with 11:53 left in the third period when second-year defenseman Garry Galley got his third goal of the season off a pass from Phil Sykes. Canuck defenseman Garth Butcher knocked Galley into the nets just after he scored. Butcher got a two-minute penalty for roughing and Sykes was also called for roughing after he retaliated.

Then the Kings tied it at 4-4 with 8:06 left in the third period when left wing Dave (Tiger) Williams deflected in a shot by defenseman Brian Engblom. Engblom also scored a second period goal to tie the game at 2-2.

King center Bernie Nicholls, who had a club-record 25-game scoring streak last season, is off to another good start this season.

Nicholls has scored at least one point in all five of the Kings’ games this season.

The Kings took a 1-0 lead with 6:13 left in the first period when Nicholls scored his second goal of the season off a pass from left wing Dan Brennan.

Canuck goalie Richard Brodeur got a piece of Nicholls’ shot, but the puck bounced into the net off Brodeur’s left leg pad.

However, the Canucks tied it at 1-1 with 3:02 left in the first period when defenseman Jiri Bubla scored his first goal of the season on a power play with one second left in a tripping penalty on rookie center Dave Gans.

Bubla was playing in his first game this season after missing the Canucks’ first four games with a rib injury.

Bubla’s scored on a freak play when his shot from the blue line went into the net off King defenseman Garry Galley, who was standing to the left of King goalie Bob Janecyk.

Janecyk, who was starting his second straight game after making 43 saves in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers last Wednesday night at the Forum, looked sharp in the first period, making 11 saves.

The Canucks, who had four power plays in the first period, outshot the Kings, 12-6, in the first 20 minutes of the game.

The Kings outshot the Canucks, 13-9, in the second period, but they were outscored, 2-1, and trailed, 3-2, going into the third period.

The Kings had their first power play of the game 2:08 into the second period when Canuck right wing Cam Neely got a two-minute penalty for interference on Dave Taylor. But the Kings got just two shots out of the power play.

Canuck defenseman Rick Lanz had to leave the game with 14:55 left in the second period after he was checked into the boards behind the Vancouver goal by King left wing Phil Sykes.

Lanz suffered a strained lower back. The Canucks held him out of the rest of the game, but he is expected to return for Vancouver’s next game Sunday night in New York against the Rangers.

The Canucks took a 2-1 lead with 7:53 left in the second period when Neely scored his second goal of the season when he deflected in a shot from the right point by defenseman J.J. Daigneault.

But the Kings tied it at 2-2 when defenseman Brian Engblom scored his first goal of the season with 4:08 left in the second period. Engblom deflected a shot by Taylor into the top left-hand corner of the net.

The Canucks went ahead, 3-2, with five seconds left in the second period when center Gary Lupul tipped in Bubla’s hard shot from the right point. The shot went between Janecyk’s legs.

King Notes The Kings open a two-game homestand against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers Sunday night at 7:30 at the Forum. The Boston Bruins, coached by former King star Butch Goring, play the Kings Tuesday night at the Forum. . . . The Kings’ scratches were defenseman Ken Hammond, left wing J.P. Kelly and right wing Anders Hakansson.