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 Left winger Devante Smith-Pelly scored twice in a span of 1
minute, 23 seconds in the second period, leading the Ducks to a 4-3
victory over the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth game of their
conference semifinal series Monday night at the Honda Center.
Goalie John Gibson, in his second career playoff appearance, stopped
39 shots as the Ducks took a 3-2 series lead. Anaheim would secure a
berth in the conference finals by defeating the Kings on Wednesday
night at Staples Center.
"To win four games against this team is going to be the toughest job
our team ever had," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "They're such
emotional games when you're playing the Kings. It's hard to keep
everybody calm on the bench when the crowd is going nuts and the
play is pretty fast and furious."
Smith-Pelly and Gibson spent most of the season with the Ducks'
American Hockey League affiliate in Norfolk, Va. Both were recalled
during the playoffs, as was defenseman Sami Vatanen.
"All of them have played such big roles," Boudreau said. "They're
solid, solid NHL players. The youth is really carrying us right
now."
Left winger Marian Gaborik scored twice for the Kings, giving him
eight playoff goals this year. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick
made 20 saves.
Smith-Pelly broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal 1 minute, 11
seconds into the second period -- 29 seconds after Los Angeles right
winger Justin Williams received a hooking penalty.
Anaheim defenseman Francois Beauchemin began the scoring sequence
with a long pass from his own end. Right winger Teemu Selanne
received the puck, skated behind the net and passed through the
crease. The puck ricocheted from center Mathieu Perreault's stick
off Smith-Pelly's toe and inside the right post.
Smith-Pelly then gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead at 2:34. Center Ryan
Getzlaf intercepted defenseman Alec Martinez's pass at the Kings'
blue line and sent the puck to an open Smith-Pelly, who deked Quick
to the ice and deposited a backhanded shot behind him.
"Down in the AHL, I was relied upon to score more than I'm ever
going to be here," Smith-Pelly said. "When I come up here, I try and
play physical, and try to transfer those offensive instincts that I
used down there to bury chances when I do get a chance."
Right winger Jakob Silfverberg extended the lead to 4-1 at 8:23 of
the middle period by converting the rebound of center Andrew
Cogliano's shot.
"They have been a very opportunistic team," Kings right winger
Dustin Brown said. "I believe it was in Game 3 that we gave up maybe
two odd-man rushes and they scored on both of them. That is a credit
to being opportunistic. But when we are playing our hockey, we don't
give up odd-man rushes."
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The Kings received a long power play when Smith-Pelly went into the
penalty box with a double minor for hooking with 2:03 left in the
second period. Gaborik scored 45 seconds into that power play. He
added another goal at 14:12 of the final period by redirecting
Brown's backhander from the slot.
"We did a good job around the net," Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter
said. "Our defensemen probably had more shots tonight than they had
all series."
Center Nick Bonino put Anaheim ahead 2:15 into the game. Ducks left
winger Daniel Winnik began the play by securing a loose puck after
Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin slipped in the right corner trying to
retrieve it. Winnik passed to Bonino, who dragged a wrist shot from
the right circle past Quick.
Almost seven minutes later, Kings center Trevor Lewis tied the
score. Lewis put a wrist shot from the right circle past Gibson's
glove at 9:12.
NOTES: Los Angeles scratched D Willie Mitchell and D Robyn Regehr
for the fourth consecutive game because of undisclosed injuries. ...
Kings C Anze Kopitar, who had an assist, leads all playoff
performers with 16 points and 12 assists. ... Los Angeles LW Marian
Gaborik moved into the playoff goal-scoring lead with eight goals.
... Anaheim LW Matt Beleskey and G Frederik Andersen missed their
second successive games due to undisclosed injuries. Andersen
started and played 50 minutes in Thursday night's 3-2 win before
getting injured. G Jonas Hiller replaced Andersen as the backup to
John Gibson. ... Anaheim RW Tim Jackman, who broke his hand April 4,
skated in Sunday's practice but was scratched Monday night. ...
Ducks C Ryan Getzlaf leads the NHL in power-play assists during the
playoffs with five. ... On Saturday, Gibson (then 20 years, 300
days) became the youngest goalie in NHL history to earn a shutout in
his first playoff appearance. ... The announced attendance was a
standing-room-only crowd of 17,233.
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