This date in sports: Dustin Brown’s two goals lead Kings to Western Conference finals

Dustin Brown scored two goals and the No. 8-seeded Kings completed an improbable four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues on this date in 2012 with a 3-1 win at Staples Center that propelled them to the NHL’s Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993.

The victory, featuring flawless penalty killing and spectacular goaltending by Jonathan Quick, made the Kings the NHL’s first No. 8 seed to eliminate the conference’s top two seeds in the same postseason. They dispatched No. 1 Vancouver in the first round in five games.

St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock was impressed enough to say, “L.A. plays the way you have to play to win the Cup now, ” which it went on to do against the New Jersey Devils and earn the Kings their first Stanley Cup championship.

In games involving local teams that were either postponed or canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Galaxy had an MLS match scheduled Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, outside Denver.

The Dodgers were ready to host the Chicago Cubs in the final of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. The Angels would have spent the evening at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox.

Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:

1917 — Bob Groom of the St. Louis Browns follows fellow pitcher Ernie Koob’s performance of the previous day when he pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a doubleheader at St. Louis. Groom walks three batters, hits one with a pitch and allows another to reach base on a sacrifice, but only one White Sox runner is left on base.

1973 — The New England Whalers beat the Winnipeg Jets 9-6 to win the first World Hockey Assn. championship. Former Montreal Canadian Larry Pleau scores three goals and Tommy Webster has two as the Whalers take the AVCO World Cup series four games to one.

1976 — Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach ties an NHL playoff record, scoring five goals in the Flyers’ 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Maurice Richard of Montreal scored five goals in 1944 and Darryl Sittler did the same two weeks before Leach did.

1978 — Affirmed, ridden by teenager Steve Cauthen and trained by Laz Barrera, holds off Alydar’s late challenge for a 1 1/2-length victory in the Kentucky Derby. This is Affirmed’s easiest race against his rival en route to the Triple Crown.

1991 — Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union breaks his world outdoor pole vault record and Seppo Raty of Finland smashes the world javelin mark at a meet in Japan. Bubka clears 19 feet 11 inches, breaking his record height of 19-10 1/2. Raty hurls the javelin 301 feet 9 inches, topping the 298-6 by Steve Backley of Great Britain.

1998 — Rookie Kerry Wood ties the major league record set by Roger Clemens with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, pitching a one-hitter to lead the Chicago Cubs over the Houston Astros 2-0 on a rainy day at Wrigley Field. Wood makes the fifth start of his career, faces 29 batters and hits Craig Biggio with a pitch.

2001 — Scott Dixon, a 20-year-old rookie driver, becomes the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing when he holds off Kenny Brack by 0.366 seconds in the CART Lehigh Valley Grand Prix at Nazareth, Pa. Dixon, driving a Toyota, averages 114.840 mph on the .95-mile oval at Nazareth Speedway. Paul Tracy finishes third.

Sports

This day in sports: Teemu Selanne becomes first NHL rookie with a 70-goal season

A look at what happened on this day in sports history on March 28, including Teemu Selanne’s 70-goal season as a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets.

March 28, 2020

2006 — Barbaro storms into the lead at the top of the stretch and wins the Kentucky Derby by 6 1/2 lengths. Ridden by Edgar Prado, the 3-year-old colt wins his sixth straight race ahead of Bluegrass Cat and is the sixth undefeated champion of the Derby. It is the largest margin since 1946, when Assault won by eight lengths.

2006 — The Phoenix Suns are the eighth team in NBA history to win a series after trailing 3-1 when they drub the Lakers 121-90 in Game 7 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers make only 32 of 91 shots from the field.

2010 — Johan Franzen scores three goals in a span of 3:26 in the first period, and adds a fourth goal in the third to set a Red Wings playoff record of six points as Detroit stays alive after a 7-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

SOURCES: The Times, Associated Press