Canucks Power Past the Ducks, 3-1

Steve McCarthy and Ryan Kesler scored power-play goals in the third period and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Ducks, 3-1, in an exhibition game at the Arrowhead Pond.

Canuck goalie Brent Johnson made 25 saves, including one on a breakaway by Corey Perry that could have tied the score with 6:17 left.

Markus Naslund had a power-play goal and an assist for Vancouver.

Teemu Selanne scored on the power play for the Ducks, who did not suit up several regulars.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 20 saves.

Eric Stephens

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Forward Derek Armstrong, out with a concussion since Sept. 18, practiced for the first time Wednesday and said he expected to be ready for the Kings’ opener next week.

“All we did was skate today, but I felt fine,” Armstrong said. “There were no symptoms.”

King Coach Andy Murray said he hoped to have Armstrong available for Friday’s exhibition finale against the Ducks.

“He kept up pretty well today,” Murray said. “Although most guys had a game yesterday.”

Defensemen Mattias Norstrom and Tim Gleason, both injured in Tuesday’s exhibition against San Jose, sat out practice and are listed as day-to-day.

Norstrom strained his hamstring and Gleason bruised his right knee after colliding with teammate Lubomir Visnovsky.

“We all need games to get ready, but I’d rather miss a couple preseason games than regular games,” said Norstrom, who rode a stationary bike for 40 minutes.

Jonathan Abrams

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A group of NHL players filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that acting union executive director Ted Saskin and President Trevor Linden aren’t fairly representing all of the organization’s members.

Former King Trent Klatt, a union executive committee member who quit as a player this month, said in a statement that the 28 players submitted the complaint today at the agency’s New York office only after repeated attempts to meet with Saskin failed.

The players, including Ed Belfour and Dominik Hasek, claim Linden improperly negotiated a severance package with former executive director Bob Goodenow and a new contract with Saskin.

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Niklas Kronwall will be out at least six weeks because of a knee injury suffered in an exhibition game Tuesday, leaving the Detroit Red Wings without one of their top defensemen.