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Selanne leads Ducks past Kings 3-2, back in series

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Staring down the prospect of an 0-3 series deficit, the Anaheim Ducks finally figured out a way to beat the Los Angeles Kings.

Even if that way involved a third-period goalie change, two unlikely power-play goals and another wild finish.

“It’s been like this all year,” Teemu Selanne said. “We sell tickets. You never know what’s going to happen in our games, but we’ve got to try to make it a little easier.”

Selanne scored the tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Corey Perry got his first goal of the series, and the Ducks beat the Kings 3-2 on Thursday night to trim Los Angeles’ series lead to 2-1.

Anaheim snapped the Kings’ six-game postseason winning streak. Ben Lovejoy’s goal with 2:55 to play turned out to be the winner after two earlier goals from the Ducks’ long-struggling power play.

Mike Richards then scored for the Kings with 30 seconds left, but the top-seeded Ducks hung on for just their third win in their last seven playoff games.

“It feels good to put a seed of doubt in their mind, hopefully,” Lovejoy said. “The Ducks are coming.”

Game 4 is Saturday night at Staples Center.

Jonas Hiller made seven saves in the final 9:58 after rookie goalie Frederik Andersen left with a right leg injury for the Ducks, who bounced back from two narrow losses in Anaheim to open the series.

Andersen was solid in Game 3 until getting hurt during a wild scramble midway through the third period. Hiller had to make two tough saves immediately after entering the game, but the Swiss goalie finished strong despite Richards’ late goal on a midair rebound of Tanner Pearson’s shot while Jonathan Quick was pulled for an extra attacker.

“It’s a challenge for a goalie to come in like that, but it seems like this season is a lot of back-and-forth play,” Hiller said. “We were just glad we finally scored three goals in a game.”

Anaheim scored just three goals total in two games at Honda Center to open the local rivals’ first playoff meeting. The Ducks regained their edge Thursday, while the Kings struggled to respond in front of their home fans.

Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist, and Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who hadn’t lost since Game 3 of their stunning first-round series against San Jose.

“Anytime you are down in a series, you are going to come in desperate, and we had to match that desperation,” Kings center Jarret Stoll said. “I don’t think we did that. We didn’t have it tonight. We weren’t good enough in a lot of areas.”

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau curiously changed starting goalies for Game 3, replacing Hiller with Andersen, the Danish rookie who played poorly in all three road games in the first round against Dallas. Boudreau repeatedly said Hiller had played well against the Kings in the first two games, giving up just five goals, but Andersen beat Los Angeles three times in the regular season, while Hiller is winless in his career at Staples Center.

The Ducks didn’t have the same vociferous road support enjoyed by the Kings at Honda Center earlier in the series, but Anaheim still silenced Staples Center just 4:06 into Game 3.

Ryan Getzlaf got the puck down low to Patrick Maroon, who found Perry in the slot for his third goal of the postseason. Perry, second in the NHL with 43 goals in the regular season, hadn’t scored in the series.

The Kings evened it when Marian Gaborik set up a one-timer for Carter, who hadn’t scored a goal in the Kings’ last four playoff games.

Anaheim couldn’t score during a 4-on-3 advantage for 59 seconds late in the period, but Nick Bonino found Selanne with a saucer pass for the Finnish Flash’s 44th career goal in 126 postseason games.

Matt Beleskey went to the dressing room early in the third period after a hard hit on the boards by Kings captain Dustin Brown. The Ducks said Beleskey had a lower-body injury.

Lovejoy scored his second goal of the postseason on a 2-on-1 rush with Andrew Cogliano, sending Kings fans to the exits.

NOTES: Maroon extended his scoring streak to six games, the longest postseason streak by a rookie since Los Angeles’ Warren Rychel in 1993. … Anze Kopitar, who had an assist, has a point in all 10 of the Kings’ playoff games. The last Kings player with a 10-game point streak in a single postseason was Wayne Gretzky in 1993. … The Ducks are staying in a hotel across the street until Saturday, but they’ll take a bus 30 miles back home to Anaheim for practice Friday.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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