* Flyers, Pens, combine for 133 penalty minutes
* Panthers get first playoff win since 1997
(Adds late match)
April 15 (Reuters) – The Los Angeles Kings are on the brink
of producing a huge playoff upset after they beat the top-seed
Vancouver Canucks 1-0 on Sunday to take a 3-0 lead in the
first-round series.
Jonathan Quick made 41 saves in a shutout and Dustin Brown
notched his fourth goal of the playoffs as Los Angeles put the
defending Western Conference champions on the ropes.
The eighth-seed Kings can sweep the series in Wednesday’s
Game Four. â??
“We’re feeling pretty good right now, but it’s not over,”
Kings center Anze Kopitar told reporters after tallying an
assist.
“â??We want to finish it as soon as we can but it’s not over
until you get that fourth win.”
The Kings have not enjoyed a post-season series win in 11
years, and few people would have thought they could overcome
Vancouver.
But Los Angeles have found form at the right time, while the
Canucks struggle to score goals in the absence of leader Daniel
Sedin, who is out with a concussion.
In Florida, the Panthers earned their first playoff victory
since 1997 with a 4-2 win over New Jersey that evened their
first-round series at 1-1.
Having dropped the series opener at home, the Panthers
responded by taking a 3-0 lead behind a pair of goals from
Stephen Weiss.
“â??They got on us last game and that was enough for them. We
got the same jump on them tonight and it turned out to be enough
for us,” Weiss said.
New Jersey fought back by scoring twice in third and the
Devils had a shot blocked in the final seconds before Florida
netted an empty-netter as time expired.
In earlier action, the Philadelphia Flyers grabbed a 3-0
first-round series lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins with an
impressive but ill-disciplined 8-4 home victory.
Their bruising Game Three victory, which featured 133
penalty minutes and three ejections, put the Flyers in position
to sweep a Penguins team pegged by many as Stanley Cup
favorites. Game Four of the best-of-seven series is on Wednesday
in Philadelphia.
In Detroit, Shea Weber continued to irritate Red Wings’ fans
by playing a major role in helping Nashville grab a 3-2 road
victory to take control of the first-round series.
Weber, fined $2,500 for hits he put on Detroit’s Henrik
Zetterberg in Game One, scored a first-period goal to help the
Predators skate to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven affair.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick
Johnston)
