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LA Kings force Game 7, beating Anaheim Ducks 2-1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After conquering almost every conceivable obstacle in the Stanley Cup playoffs over the last few years, the pressure of an elimination game doesn’t bother the Los Angeles Kings.

With goals from two unlikely sources and a vintage game from their star goalie, the Kings methodically made sure the first postseason Freeway Faceoff will go the limit.

Trevor Lewis scored his fourth goal of the postseason, Jonathan Quick made 21 saves, and the Kings forced a seventh game with a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 on Wednesday night.

Jake Muzzin scored an early goal for the Kings, who ended their three-game skid with another sturdy defensive effort at home. Los Angeles improved to 6-1 in postseason elimination games over the last two seasons while beating Ducks goalie John Gibson for the first time in his six-game NHL career.

The Kings clearly have a hunger for high stakes. The top-seeded Ducks will find out how they taste in Game 7 on Friday night.

“Our team is built to play in these kinds of games,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “Our leaders show the way, and everyone follows. We look forward to playing in these games. We’re not nervous.”

The Kings again proved their postseason credentials are unassailable after winning a Stanley Cup title in 2012 and returning to the conference finals last year. Responding to Anaheim’s three straight wins with calm, intelligent defense, Los Angeles forced its second seven-game series of this postseason after rallying from an 0-3 deficit in the first round to stun San Jose.

Los Angeles largely controlled Game 6, shutting down the Ducks’ power play and their top scorers. The Kings killed two penalties in the third period and survived the frantic final seconds with barely a hiccup.

“It’s a result (of the fact that) this group has been through a lot of things, being in these very uncomfortable situations,” Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown said. “When you have that trust and experience with each other, it puts it in perspective. We’ve been through a lot worse.”

Kyle Palmieri scored and Gibson stopped 21 shots for the Ducks, who could have clinched their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2007.

The Southern California rivals’ scintillating first postseason meeting is the NHL’s only second-round series still going. The winner of Game 7 at Honda Center faces the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, who will have four days before the conference finals open Sunday in Anaheim or Chicago.

“They were up 2-nothing on us, (and) we beat them three times in a row,” Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano said. “It’s pretty tough to beat them four times, but I thought we were right there. We were one shot away and I thought we let a couple parts of our game slip a tiny bit, so we’ll have to regain those and bring it back to our building where our fans are.”

Four days after Gibson made his NHL playoff debut at Staples Center by shutting out the Kings to even the series, the 20-year-old goalie had a rougher time in his third postseason game. Lewis scored on an eminently stoppable shot, the puck trickling between Gibson’s pads in the second period.

“I should have had it,” Gibson said. “I missed it, and that’s the game. … Missed it. It happens.”

Quick finally outplayed his young rival, and the Kings forced Game 7 despite getting just one goal from Jeff Carter and none from Anze Kopitar, Doughty, Brown, Justin Williams, Slava Voynov or Jarret Stoll in the series.

“Quickie made big saves when he had to, but I didn’t think he had a lot of work,” Doughty said. “Most of their chances were from the outside. That’s how we want to play.”

Los Angeles took the lead midway through the first period when Kopitar slid a pass through the slot to Muzzin, who hit a mostly open net for the defenseman’s third goal of the postseason, his first in 11 games.

Kopitar got his seventh assist of the postseason and extended his overall NHL playoff scoring lead, while Marian Gaborik scored his 13th point in 11 games with the other assist.

Gaborik nearly scored his sixth goal of the series later in the period, but the puck hopped over his stick after Gibson ventured far from his net and banked a clearing attempt off teammate Ryan Getzlaf’s leg.

Lewis doubled the Kings’ lead with an innocent-looking wrist shot that sneaked between Gibson’s legs for his first bad goal of the postseason. Lewis, a grinding forward, scored just six times in the entire regular season.

The Ducks scored 1:38 later when Nick Bonino jumped on Tanner Pearson’s turnover and got it to Palmieri, who wrapped it around Quick’s net for his first playoff goal since Anaheim’s first-round opener.

Anaheim had two power plays in the third period, but the unit that scored five goals in the previous four games couldn’t connect.

NOTES: F Kyle Clifford returned to the Kings’ lineup after a one-game benching, replacing Jordan Nolan. … Kopitar has points in 12 of the Kings’ 13 playoff games, but hasn’t scored a goal in this series.

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

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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