#LAKings Kings shut out by Canucks in Bruce Boudreau’s debut as Vancouver coach (Daily News)

• The Kings’ Alex Iafallo reaches for the puck in front of the Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser during the first period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Kings’ Lias Andersson checks the Vancouver Canucks’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson during the first period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• New Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau, back right, and assistant coach Scott Walker, back left, stand on the bench behind, from left to right, Tyler Motte, Bo Horvat, Tanner Pearson and Vasily Podkolzin during the first period of Monday’s game against the Kings in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Kings’ T.J. Tynan, left, and the Vancouver Canucks’ Tyler Myers vie for the puck during the first period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Kings goalie Cal Petersen is struck on the mask by the puck as teammate Drew Doughty looks on during the first period of their game against the Canucks on Monday night in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Vancouver Canucks’ Tyler Motte (64) vies for the puck against the Kings’ Rasmus Kupari (89) and Trevor Moore (12) during the first period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko covers up the puck as teammate Quinn Hughes checks the Kings’ Phillip Danault during the first period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• New Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau, center back, stands on the bench behind, from left to right, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Tanner Pearson and Jason Dickinson during the first period of Monday’s game against the Kings in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser falls to the ice after being checked by the Kings’ Drew Doughty, left, as he reaches for the puck in front of goalie Cal Petersen during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• From left, the Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Bo Horvat celebrate Boeser’s goal against the Kings during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• From left, the Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson celebrate Boeser’s goal against the Kings during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson has his shot stopped by Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller checks the Kings’ Sean Durzi during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Vancouver Canucks’ Bo Horvat dives to reach the puck between the Kings’ Mikey Anderson, left, and Lias Andersson during the second period of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko makes a save as Travis Hamonic, left, reaches for the rebound while the Kings’ Dustin Brown falls to the ice during the third period of of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Kings goalie Cal Petersen allows a goal by the Vancouver Canucks’ Juho Lammikko, not pictured, during the third period of of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller, back right, celebrates his goal against the Kings during the third period of of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko makes a save despite being screened by the Kings’ Carl Grundstrom during the third period of of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  
  
• The Vancouver Canucks’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson reacts after taking a high stick to the face from the Kings’ Lias Andersson, not pictured, during the third period of of Monday’s game in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
  

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Kings had tired legs against a Vancouver Canucks team looking for a fresh start.
Bruce Boudreau got his first win as coach of the Canucks on Monday night as Vancouver blanked the Kings, 4-0.
The Kings were trying to build on Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, while the Canucks took the ice less than 24 hours after the organization cleaned house, firing General Manager Jim Benning, assistant manager Jim Weisbrod, head coach Travis Green and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.
Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko had 30 saves to collect his first shutout of the season and the second of his career. Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller each had a power-play goal and an assist for Vancouver, while Conor Garland and Juho Lammikko also found the back of the net.
Cal Petersen had 27 saves for the Kings, who struggled to get much going from the outset.
“The guys played really well last night in Edmonton. We didn’t play nearly as well here,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Sometimes you’ve got to tip your hat to the opposition, they really played a good game.
“We knew that we were going to get that from them and we couldn’t match up tonight. When the guys that play a lot of minutes don’t have legs, we need some support from some secondary guys. There were times during the night when we had some of that, but certainly not enough. … We have to answer the bell better than we did.”
Special teams have been a struggle for the Canucks this season, but Vancouver went 2 for 4 on the power play Monday and successfully weathered two penalties.
Boudreau, who previously coached the Washington Capitals, Ducks and Minnesota Wild, was hired through the 2022-23 season. He had a meeting and a 30-minute morning skate with his players before the game and left them with a simple message.
“I just keep telling them that they’re good players,” he said. “I’ve always thought they were good players. They’ve got to start believing that they’re good players. And when they do that, they’ll be fine.”
The Kings’ Lias Anderson was called for high-sticking on Oliver Ekman-Larsson midway through the third and Miller capitalized on the man advantage. His shot from inside the faceoff circle careened into the net off the crossbar with about seven minutes left extended Vancouver’s lead to 4-0.
Lahmmikko gave the Canucks their third goal of the night 6:59 into the period, picking off an errant Kings pass and putting a shot past Petersen stick-side for his first goal in a Vancouver jersey. The 25-year-old left wing was a healthy scratch in the previous five games.
The Canucks went up a pair 5:43 into the middle frame. Rookie Vasily Podkolzin put a shot wide with the puck ricocheting off the end boards. Garland picked up the rebound behind the net and wrapped it into the net before Petersen could get back in position.
“They came out hot and we were expecting that. We talked about that,” Kings defenseman Alex Edler said. “With a new coach, you want to make a good first impression, so they came out hard, they played hard and didn’t really give us a lot of room and we were just a step behind.”
A power-play goal opened the scoring early in the second after the Kings’ Mikey Anderson was called for tripping Bo Horvat. Stationed at the goal line, Tanner Pearson sliced a pass to Boeser at the top of the faceoff circle. The right wing uncorked a snap shot and the puck deflected in off the skate of Kings defenseman Drew Doughty in front of the net.
The goal was Boeser’s fifth of the season and his first in 14 games.
“They kept pushing and we fell off a little bit,” McLellan said. “They had a little bit more in the tank than we did, and our pushback just faded as the game went on. They got better. We expected to get their best, we got it, and the backbreaker was obviously the third goal, which was preventable.
“After that, anything can happen in the NHL, but the way they were playing, the way we were playing, it was the nail in the coffin.”
Monday was the first time Edler had returned to Vancouver since signing with L.A. in July. The 35-year-old played 15 seasons in Vancouver and holds a number of franchise records for the Canucks, including most games played by a defenseman (925), and most goals (99), assists (310) and points (409) by a defenseman.
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The club recognized Edler with a video tribute early in the first period, and the veteran hopped over the boards to wave to the cheering crowd.
“It was great. This is a great building to play in, a great city to play in, the fans are great,” Edler said. “That was a special moment for me and I’m forever thankful for what this city has done for me.
“It was nice to come in here this morning and see some of the guys, the trainers and everyone. It was nice.”
NOTES

Garland now has eight goals on the season. Miller leads the Canucks with nine. … Vancouver extended its win streak over the Kings to six games.
UP NEXT

The Kings host Dallas on Thursday night.


https://www.dailynews.com/2021/12/06...ncouver-coach/