Game 77: Kings 8, Canucks 3

This was the game we have all been waiting for, the one where the Kings achieve that moment of clarity. The moment that they hit on all cylinders. The moment that they start believing.

Kings fans, now is the time to start believing. This team will make the playoffs, no doubt. The thing I'm asking you to start believing is: this team is scary good. They are running three scoring lines, getting solid goaltending, and are executing on the power play.

And no player is representative enough of the light clicking than the captain Dustin Brown.

There's no handbook on how to be an effective leader, regardless of the countless books you read. Leadership comes from within, and is a trait that you cannot teach. Dustin Brown has these qualities, he just needs to believe it.

It came into focus Thursday for Brown. There is was, scrapping in the corners, hitting players with wild abandon, sporting that wickedly gross shiner AND scoring goals. The true definition of a power forward, a player others hate to play against but must respect because he can score on you. There is no malice in his game, no cheap shots, just hard work.

And he was rewarded for a season of that lunch pail attitude with a hat trick. And each of his shots were different. The first was a one-timer from Jack Johnson, the second was a rebound from a Ryan Smyth shot that trickled on his stick and in and the third was a wrister. Beside the scoring, Brown provided that grit that seemed to inspire the team. There's no way he only had one hit, but that's what he wound up with. Some question Dustin Brown's role as captain. After last night, there's less debate.

Jonathan Bernier played fine, holding the high-powered Canuck attack to three goals. And as soon as it was over, he packed his bags for Manchester. This makes perfect sense to me, while others might wonder why, after beating two of the Kings' nemesis handily. Allow me to explain.

This team is Jonathan Quick's, he has put in a beauty of a season so far, and deserves to finish it out. Is he tired? The whole frakking league is tired, it's April. But time and time again this season, Quick has responded to adversity. Is Bernier a better goalie? Who knows? We've seen him three times, and he definitely has some skill.

But just like when people started clamoring for roster tweaks in the middle of the season, this is not the time for a goalie controversy. Save that for next off-season. This is Quick's time, to show everyone just how far he can carry the team into the playoffs.

I put in an official request for a day off for the Kings' first playoff game. Now if I can find enough scratch for a ticket. Maybe it's time to put in a call to Barry's Tickets... (Tell them Life in Hockeywood sent you.)

• AP: Kings rout Canucks behind Brown’s hat trick

“It was a huge statement game for us,” said Brown, whose four points were a career high. “They’re a possible playoff opponent for us, and at this point of the year, it’s great. They’ve had our number all year, (but) we kept the game out of reach for them from the first period on.”

• LA Times: Dustin Brown does the trick for the Kings

Led by Brown's career-best four-point performance, seven Kings had multi-point games and 12 had at least one point. Among them was goalie Jonathan Bernier, who earned his first NHL assist on Williams' goal, the Kings' seventh.

• LA Kings: Purple Reign

The Kings took Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, one of the game’s premier goalies, and peppered him for eight goals on 29 shots. There was even some international revenge for Brown and Johnson, whose United States Olympic team was beaten by Luongo on Canada in the gold-medal game on Feb. 28.

• NHL.com: Kings rout Luongo and Canucks 8-3

The Kings played Bernier for a second straight game instead of Jonathan Quick, who has already set a franchise record with 39 wins while starting 68 of L.A.'s first 75 games. Murray said Quick is still his starter and will be in goal for both games against Anaheim this weekend. 

They said it

“For me, I haven’t been scoring probably as much as I would have liked this year, but I think I’ve been playing pretty well, especially as of late. Obviously to get the goals tonight, it just gives you a little hop in your step when you have a game like tonight.” – Dustin Brown, on his hat trick.

"There’s good feel in the room. They’re talking the right way, saying the right things, and carrying it onto the ice. I can see it even in practice now. It’s not me blowing the whistle now, to stop. It’s players pushing each other. `Make the pass. Do things right.’ That’s really important as you move forward through this time.” – Terry Murray, on whether he thinks the Kings are “turning things around."

Around the Kingdom

• The Royal Half: Red Light District

So the Los Angeles Kings come out against the Vancouver Canucks and opened up a good ole fashioned can of whoop-ass. Exactly the type of game this team needed during this tough playoff race. And the Kings continue their recent strategy of playing excellent against teams that are guaranteed to make the playoffs. 

• LA Kings News: Kings outclass Canucks 8-3

Beating a team against whom we have been struggling makes a statement. We are the unbeatable when we want to be.

• ESPNLosAngeles' Tom Murray: Kings-Canucks: A view from the seats

Coach Terry Murray has been lauding Anze Kopitar's ability to get to the net and get off good shots. The Kings' second goal is a perfect example. Jack Johnson took the shot on goal and Kopi was right there in front to bang in for his 34th of season. 

• HockeyBuzz's Matthew Barry: Kings Humiliate Canucks 8-3

Kings fans would have been happy had the Kings played defense for 40 minutes, but the killer instinct they've lacked since the Olympic break broke out of its shell. Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown both scored on the power play and on only 13 shots, the Kings had 5 goals.

Across the aisle, the Vancouver viewpoint

• Vancouver Sun: LA Kings crush the Vancouver Canucks 8-3

But a performance as sloppy and lacking as Thursday’s does nobody any good. The only benefit to the Canucks was that more players weren’t injured and Henrik Sedin assisted on Kesler’s goal to nudge his NHL-leading points total to 105. Sedin leads Alex Ovechkin by three with five games remaining.

• TSN: Kings hammer Canucks to inch close to playoff berth

Although Dustin Brown  pretty much whiffed on the cross-ice pass from Ryan Smyth, his tepid shot somehow got under the pads of star Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, leaving the Los Angeles captain with a goal and a sheepish grin.

Peeping the dailies