Kings Beaten in Overtime, 2-1, Leave Canucks Alone in Fourth

Dave Lowry of the Vancouver Canucks called it the biggest goal he’d ever scored.

Lowry, a rookie left wing, connected on a 35-foot wrist shot with 32 seconds left in a five-minute overtime period as the Canucks beat the Kings, 2-1, Friday night in a Smythe Division showdown before 13,063 fans at the Pacific Coliseum.

With the win, Vancouver moved two points ahead of the Kings in the turtle race for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Smythe Division.

Vancouver (21-41-13) is in fourth place with 55 points, while Los Angeles (23-46-7) is in fifth with 53. The Winnipeg Jets remain in third place with 56 points after a 6-3 loss at Calgary but have not yet clinched their playoff berth, either.

The Kings have four games left in the regular season, all at home, including tonight’s contest against Quebec. They play a two-game series against Winnipeg next week and close out the regular season against Vancouver next Saturday.

The Canucks have five games left, two against Edmonton, two against Calgary and the game against the Kings.

The Kings, who because of their poor home record wore their purple road uniforms in a 7-3 win over Calgary at the Forum Wednesday night, wore their yellow home uniforms against the Canucks. Vancouver wore its black road uniforms.

The Kings will wear their purple jerseys again at home when they play the Canucks next Saturday night.

“I don’t feel very good right now, but we’re going to be a playoff club,” King Coach Pat Quinn said. “I don’t know which team we’re going to knock off, but we’re going to be in the playoffs.”

Vancouver Coach Tom Watt said that by now, Quinn must be getting distressed. “That’s the third time this season that we’ve come from behind in overtime against them,” Watt said. The other two games ended in ties.

The Canucks only had one shot in overtime, but it was all they needed. Center Brent Peterson set up Lowry with a nice pass, and Lowry scored the game-winner goal on a shot that deflected off King defenseman Grant Ledyard and went past goalie Roland Melanson.

Ledyard, who a few moments earlier had broken up a Vancouver scoring chance, smashed his stick into pieces in frustration.

Said Melanson, who made 32 saves: “What happened? It went into the net. I don’t even remember who shot it. I didn’t pick up the puck until it was too late.

“It was kind of an unfortunate goal. It seems that when games get into overtime, you get fluke goals like that. Grant played it perfectly.”

Lowry, whose goal gave Vancouver its first overtime win this season, said: “It was the biggest goal I’ve ever scored. I just shot, hoping to get it on the net, and it happened to go in.”

The Kings had a goal disallowed 1 minute 45 seconds into the third period. It appeared that defenseman Mark Hardy scored on a shot from the corner, but referee Bryan Lewis had whistled the play dead a few seconds earlier because defenseman Jiri Bubla of the Canucks was lying on the ice after blocking a shot. Bubla wasn’t hurt, as it turned out, but the Kings were.

The Canucks wasted a good scoring chance with three minutes left in the third period when Garth Butcher missed a shot on an open net.

The Canucks opened the scoring in the second period on their third power-play opportunity of the game. King left wing J.P. Kelly was penalized for interference on goalie Richard Brodeur with 8:42 left in the period, and Vancouver cashed in when defenseman Rick Lanz scored off a pass from Bubla with 7:56 left.

Bubla fired the pass across to Lanz at the blue line, and Lanz beat Melanson, who was playing in his seventh straight game.

The Kings tied it with 5:04 left in the second period when right wing Sean McKenna scored on a wrist shot from the slot. Center Marcel Dionne set up McKenna’s goal with a pretty pass.

King Notes

Stan Smyl, the captain of the Canucks, is lost for the season with a knee injury. Smyl was hurt when he was hit by Alain Cote late in the third period of the Canucks’ 7-6 win over the Quebec Nordiques Wednesday night. A team spokesman said that Smyl is expected to undergo knee surgery next week. Center Brent Peterson has been named the team’s new captain. . . . King left wing Dave (Tiger) Williams served the one-game suspension he received after getting his third game misconduct penalty of the season in the Kings’ win over Calgary Wednesday night. However, Williams accompanied the Kings to Vancouver.