Kings stun Canucks, Flyers rally past Penguins
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Los Angeles Kings pulled off a 4-2 upset road win over the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final series on Wednesday.
The teams were tied at 2-2 after two periods before Dustin Penner tipped in the game-winning goal at 16:46 in the third.
Dustin Brown added an insurance marker in the final seconds to help the Kings draw first blood against the defending Western Conference champions on their home ice.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the day's other Western Conference series opener in Nashville, Gabriel Bourque scored twice on his post-season debut as the Predators overcame Detroit's rich playoff tradition to forge a 3-2 win over the Red Wings.
Pekka Rinne had 35 saves for the Predators and defenseman Shea Weber drew a roughing penalty at the buzzer for a series of hits on Henrik Zetterberg.
"It's playoffs," Weber told reporters. "He hit me from behind, so we'll see (if there is further discipline form the NHL)."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After going 3-0 down to the Penguins in the first period, Danny Briere started Philadelphia's revival with a goal in the second and another midway through the third before Brayden Schenn tied the score at 3-3 to force overtime.
Jakub Voracek then scored the game-winning goal early in the extra period to give the Flyers the road victory in the opener of their best-of-seven set.
"We have to find a way (to reverse our poor starts), but at the same time it makes it a special win," Briere said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Familiarity has bred contempt between the Penguins and Flyers, who played each other three times in the final three weeks of the regular season, including an April 1 encounter studded with fights.
The home team came out strongly on Wednesday and took a 3-0 lead on goals from Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy and Pascal Dupuis.
Briere, playing in his first game since taking a big hit against the Penguins that sparked the fights in the game at the start of the month, got the visitors within striking distance, then drew a penalty to put the Flyers on the power play.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Schenn, who added two assists, took full advantage of the extra man to score the Flyers' third and send the game into overtime.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien/Amlan Chakraborty)