A wrap of the NHL playoffs for April 13, 2012.
Los Angeles 4, Vancouver 2:
Dustin Brown made franchise history, but, more important, led the Los Angeles Kingsto another shocking victory over the NHL's best team.
Brown became the first King ever to score two shorthanded goals in a playoff game and added his hat-trick tally in the third period as eighth-seeded Los Angeles defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Friday to take a commanding 2-0 best-of-seven series lead.
Trevor Lewis also scored for Los Angeles, which will be home for Game 3 on Sunday. Jannik Hansen and Samuel Pahlsson replied for top-seeded Vancouver.
The Kings employed a hard-hitting, smothering attack -- particularly on the penalty kill -- that left a befuddled Vancouver group with more questions than answers.
Los Angeles was 5-for-5 on the penalty kill for the second straight game, scored twice shorthanded and added a key third-period power-play goal with the Canucks pressing for the equalizer.
In goal, Jonathan Quick continued his red-hot play, challenging shooters, allowing few rebounds and making several acrobatic saves. He made 45 stops in total.
After Vancouver gained momentum with an early second-period goal to tie the game 1-1, the Kings captain snatched it back with his second shorthanded tally of the game.
Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis missed a pass at the Kings' blue line, allowing Brown to streak past him and beat Roberto Luongo with a pretty backhand to the blocker side at 5:17.
The goal came exactly five minutes after Hansen neatly deflected a Henrik Sedin shot behind Quick to tie the game 1-1 and get a restless Rogers Arena crowd back in the game.
Brown added his third goal of the game and the eventual game-winner midway through the third period, banging a puck past Luongo although it appeared that Jarret Stoll should have been credited with the goal. Of Los Angeles' eight goals in the series, Brown has four.
Lewis made it 4-1 with 5:09 remaining, scoring on a wraparound as Luongo scrambled to find where the puck was.
Pahlsson responded with a backhand goal off a scramble with 3:38 remaining, and Vancouver mounted a charge with a late power play but could come no closer.
Luongo was average in goal for the Canucks, looking shaky on the Kings' two third-period goals, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see backup Cory Schneider start Game 3.
Luongo finished with 25 saves.
The Canucks' biggest problem, however, has been special teams. They are 0-10 in the series on the power play and have allowed three goals on Los Angeles' 12 chances. Their poor performance with the man advantage left a frustrated crowd booing on several occasions.
Canucks defenseman Alex Edler tried a drop pass to David Booth, but Anze Kopitar stole the puck, drove the net and Brown followed up by banging the rebound past a prone Luongo.
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Philadelphia 8, Pittsburgh 5:
Jaromir Jagr came back to haunt the Penguins, scoring the game-winning goal as the Flyers earned a 8-5 victory Friday night in Game 2 of the series at Consol Energy Center.
Philadelphia has taken a 2-0 series lead, something it has never blown in franchise history.
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