Canucks Keep Nicholls, Kings Mostly in Check

Barry Pederson scored two goals and Rich Sutter added a goal and two assists Thursday night to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a 6-2 victory over the Kings.

Greg Adams contributed the tie-breaking goal in the second period and Paul Reinhart had three assists as the Canucks, third in the NHL in fewest goals allowed, held the league’s highest scoring club in check.

Los Angeles’ Bernie Nicholls scored a goal but fell two shy of becoming only the sixth player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals in 50 games or less.

Just 45 seconds after Pederson’s power-play goal brought the Canucks a 2-2 tie, Adams skated from behind the net and beat goalie Mark Fitzpatrick with a wrist shot with 3:49 left in the second period.

Tony Tanti then gave Vancouver a 4-2 lead with 9:59 left and Sutter added an insurance goal with a sharp-angle shot three minutes later. Pederson then concluded the scoring with 52 seconds remaining.

Jay Miller, acquired from Boston this week, had scored his first goal as a member of the Kings for a 2-1 lead 5:43 into the period. Luc Robitaille’s shot deflected off the shaft of Miller’s stick and trickled past goalie Kirk McLean and over the goal line.

The Canucks, working with a 5-3 man advantage, scored first with Jim Sandlak’s goal. Nicholls then tied it on the power play, taking a rebound of a shot by Wayne Gretzky and wristing it over McLean.

The Kings gave up three power-play goals for the second time in as many games.