Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist, including the tiebreaking tally at 7:05 of the third period, and Jacob Markstrom made 49 saves as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the visiting Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Saturday night.

Jake Virtanen and Tyler Motte also scored for the Canucks, who returned from their holiday break and won their season-high fourth game in a row -- during which they've outscored their opponents 16-9.

Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli had goals for the Kings, who were playing the second half of a back-to-back after winning 3-2 in overtime Friday night in San Jose. Jonathan Quick stopped 23 of 26 shots.

Toffoli tied the score at 2-2 at 6:46 of the third, lifting the puck over Markstrom after a scramble in front of the net.

But Pettersson, the reigning Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's rookie of the year, restored the lead just 19 seconds later, taking a backhanded, cross-ice pass from J.T. Miller and beating Quick to the short side.

The Canucks took a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Virtanen opened the scoring at 10:22, intercepting a cross-ice pass from Los Angeles' Austin Wagner in the Kings' zone. Quick stopped Virtanen's initial shot from between the faceoff circles, but the forward was able to collect the rebound and fire it over the goaltender.

The Canucks made it 2-0 at 19:32, as Pettersson skated the puck from behind his own net up the middle of the ice and over the L.A. blue line. He left a drop pass for Motte, who wheeled to the top of the left faceoff circle before unleashing a wrist shot that found the far upper corner of the net.

The Kings finally got on the board at 11:52 of the second, as Kopitar got his own rebound after a shot by Alex Iafallo from the blue line and was able to squeeze it under Markstrom's pad and inside the left post.

The Canucks have won all three meetings with the Kings this season, outscoring them 16-7.

--Field Level Media