THE BUZZ: It was a good night for Kyle Wellwood at GM Place Thursday as the struggling centre finally scored his first goal of the season, albeit an empty-netter, to help the Canucks win 4-1 over the L.A. Kings. Vancouver improves their home record to 9-3 and 13-11 overall.
SO CLOSE: Wellwood looked to have scored his first goal of the season earlier in the third but the tally was changed to Tanner Glass'. However, he finally broke his 19-game goal drought later in the game and received a huge ovation by the Vancouver crowd.
WELLY SPEAKS: "It’s been a rough year and tonight was my first game with a wood blade this season and I ended up getting a couple of points so hopefully that’s a sign of things to come," said Wellwood.
COACH TALK: "An empty net goal gets a standing ovation and a player scores a goal and gets booed, so history was made today," said coach Alain Vigneault.
MUSIC MAGIC: With U2's Where the Streets Have No Name making a return as the Canucks intro music after a three-year absence, the team got off to an early lead when Alex Burrows scored his fifth of the season and first non-empty goal in 19 games.
SCOREBOARD: After Wayne Simmonds scored his seventh of the year to tie the game up with 43 seconds left in the second period, Henrik Sedin regained the lead early in the third with his fifth goal in four games. Jonathan Quick ended the night with 30 saves while Luongo stopped 31 of 32 shots, including a highlight reel glove save on Teddy Purcell in the second.
BIG LEAGUES: Brayden Schenn, who was drafted fifth overall by the Kings this past summer, made his NHL debut yesterday on a one-day amateur tryout agreement, after the Kings needed an emergency fill-in.
OUT: Vancouver Rick Rypien missed his fifth game this season, this time with an upper body injury. He was replaced in the lineup by enforcer Darcy Hordichuk.
UP NEXT: Vancouver will continue their busy weekend Saturday when they host the Edmonton Oilers, who lost 2-0 the last time they were here, before facing the league's best San Jose Sharks Sunday for the first time this year.
