NHL: Jake DeBrusk's 2nd goal lifts Canucks past Kings in OT

Jake DeBrusk scored twice, including the overtime winner, as the Vancouver Canucks triumphed 4-3 over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

DeBrusk’s game-winning goal came just 2:58 into overtime when he tapped in a feed from Elias Pettersson at the side of the net. Pettersson, along with Zeev Buium, also found the back of the net for Vancouver (25-48-8, 58 points), who have now won three straight games.

Vancouver's defenseman Kevin Lankinen earned the win, making 31 saves as the Canucks finished the season with a 9-27-5 record at home. The team will head to Edmonton for their final regular-season game on Thursday.

Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each scored and added an assist, while Adrian Kempe tallied the other goal for the Kings (35-26-20, 90 points). Despite the loss, Los Angeles, currently holding the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, is still in contention for a top-three finish in the Pacific Division. The Kings’ regular season concludes on Thursday in Calgary.

The game began evenly, with both teams tied at 1-1 after the first period. Pettersson opened the scoring at 9:21 of the first, firing a shot from the point past a screened Darcy Kuemper for his third goal of the season. Los Angeles responded with Byfield, who redirected a pass from Laferriere past Lankinen to tie the game at 1-1.

The Canucks regained the lead early in the second period when DeBrusk scored on the power play, cleaning up a rebound off a Brock Boeser shot for his 22nd goal of the season. Kempe answered just 12 seconds later, chipping an Anze Kopitar feed over Lankinen’s pad for his 36th goal.

Los Angeles took their first lead at 2:17 of the second period when Laferriere capitalized on a rebound off Drew Doughty's point shot, netting his 21st of the season. However, the Canucks leveled the score at 3-3 at 9:20, with Buium finishing off a give-and-go with Nils Hoglander for his sixth of the season.

With the game knotted at 3-3, it was DeBrusk’s overtime heroics that sealed the victory for Vancouver.

The Canucks will now look to finish the season strong in Edmonton, while the Kings aim to secure their position in the playoff race in Calgary.

-Field Level Media/Reuters