VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Jarome Iginla thought he tied one of his heroes on the NHL’s all-time goals list earlier this week. His math was a little off, but the veteran winger only had to wait a couple more days to reach the milestone.
Iginla scored the 625th goal of his career to match Joe Sakic for 15th place all-time, and Jonathan Quick made 35 saves for his 44th career shutout as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 on Friday night.
The 39-year-old Iginla was under the impression his winner in Wednesday’s victory against the Flames in Calgary, where he played from 1996-13, put him on par with Sakic before realizing he was still one short.
“I jumped the gun,” Iginla said. “That (puck), I will be keeping. I know what a great player he was and what a great person.”
Tyler Toffoli also scored for Los Angeles, which is clinging to slim playoff hopes and now sits eight points behind Nashville for the second wild card in the Western Conference with five games remaining for each team.
“We have to make sure we do our part,” said Iginla, now at 1,299 points for his career. “Nobody is quitting.”
Ryan Miller made 24 stops for Vancouver, which was eliminated from postseason contention last week and was shut out for the 10th time this season.
The Canucks were awful in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Anaheim, but managed to bounce back with an improved effort against the Kings.
“We played a better game,” Miller said. “We were engaged a little bit more. … Just a couple mistakes … and we end up chasing.”
Iginla got the Kings on the board on the power play with 7:17 left in the second period by deflecting a shot from Alec Martinez past Miller for his 14th of the season and third goal in three games.
“To be able to tie Joe Sakic, that one is definitely very special to me,” said Iginla, who notched his fourth game winner of the season and the 101st of his career. “I got to play with him at the Olympics, play with him at the World Cup.
“He’s a guy I looked up to growing up and I got to be on his line and watch him do his thing. It was pretty cool. I’ve been very blessed. It’s awesome to get there.”
Acquired from Colorado prior to the NHL trade deadline, the 39-year-old has six goals in 14 games with Los Angeles after scoring just eight times in 61 contests with the Avalanche.
“I’m getting a great opportunity,” said Iginla, who wouldn’t bite when asked if he had played his last game in Vancouver. “Even though we are chasing, each game is meaningful and intense.”
Toffoli doubled the Kings’ lead with 3:22 left on a 3-on-2 rush, beating Miller high over the blocker with a perfect shot off the crossbar and in for his 19th.
The Canucks - now 2-8-2 over their last 12 games - had a great chance to jump in front less than two minutes into the second on a power play of their own, but rookie forward Brock Boeser, who came in with two goals in his first three NHL games, missed a wide-open net with Quick out of position.
Quick, who sat out 59 games with a groin injury earlier this season, picked up his second shutout of the season after going 4-4-0 over his last nine starts, with 16 goals against over that span.
He made a nice pad save on Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa from the slot about five minutes into the third.
Miller kept the Canucks in it midway through the period when he stopped Adrian Kempe all alone in front on a 2-on-1 break before Quick stoned Daniel Sedin moments later.
“Quick was really good tonight,” said Sedin. “We had our chances to score, but it doesn’t really help us. … We’ve got to put some in the back of the net to win these kinds of games.”
NOTES: Griffen Molino, who signed a two-year contract as a college free agent with Vancouver on Tuesday, made his NHL debut. The 23-year-old forward had 15 goals and 18 assists in 40 games with Western Michigan University this season. … Canucks F Drew Shore and brother Nick Shore, a forward with the Kings, played against each other in the NHL for the first time. Drew Shore picked up an assist on L.A.’s second goal. … Vancouver backup G Jacob Markstrom, who hasn’t played since injuring his right knee during the team’s skills competition in late February, will have surgery next week and is out for the year.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Arizona on Sunday to open a four-game homestand before visiting Anaheim in the season finale.
Canucks: Host San Jose on Sunday in the opener of a home-and-home set.
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