Vancouver

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter spent part of his post-practice media session on Tuesday talking about schedules, traveling and playoff logistics, spelling out the disadvantage for his team. "That's all part of not being a home-ice team," he said. The Kings-Blues series will start in St. Louis … eventually. Sutter simply wants to know. And, as he said, then they can get in a "prairie schooner," and head over to St. Louis. The Western Conference semifinals meets "Little House on the Prairie.

VANCOUVER, Canada --- Finishing in the top eight in the West had taken so much out of the Kings that Coach Darryl Sutter wasn't sure what his players had in reserve before their first-round series against the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks. They had overcome a 7-8-1 start at home and repeated dips out of playoff position but then lost their final two games. Sutter, who took over for Terry Murray on Dec. 22, wasn't sure if his team had gone as far as it could manage.

Daniel Sedin's return to the Vancouver Canucks had a doubly detrimental effect for the Kings, denying them a first-round playoff sweep and creating a new threat they must defuse when the series resumes Sunday in Vancouver. The gifted winger's first appearance since suffering a concussion on March 21 boosted the Canucks' spirits and talent level. He especially raised the game of his linemate and twin, Henrik, as they combined to score with a man advantage and seal Vancouver's 3-1 victory Wednesday at Staples Center.

The dust was being blown off NHL record books. Potential alliterations trotted out -- Vancouver Vanquished? -- and then discarded. The next step was thinking about measuring space for a Dustin Brown statue in front of Staples Center. There was one small matter: The Kings had to go and play the second period Wednesday night. They were 40 minutes away from sweeping Vancouver in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, which would have been a franchise first for Los Angeles.

You had to know it couldn't be that easy. These are the Kings. Nothing comes easily for them except disappointment. They had a chance Wednesday to add to their modest list of franchise firsts and sweep a best-of-seven playoff series, but were stymied by the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks, who rediscovered their grit and passion in an impressive 3-1 victory before a disappointed crowd at Staples Center. An effort that was very much like what the Kings gave in winning the first three games and moving to the brink of their first playoff series win since 2001.

Vancouver Canucks star Daniel Sedin was back in the building ... and back on the ice. As for Game 4 against the Kings? His readiness will likely come down to a game-time decision Wednesday. The forward, who has been out since March 21 because of a concussion, rejoined his teammates at practice in El Segundo on Tuesday afternoon. It was the first time in eight days he has taken part in a full practice.  “It felt great. It's been a tough four weeks," said Sedin, who flew to Los Angeles from Vancouver on Monday.

The Kings have waited 44 years to hold a 3-0 lead in a playoff series. Waiting an extra day before they can finish off the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks isn't bothering them. Players assembled Monday in El Segundo for a meeting and off-ice workouts, barely 12 hours after recording a 1-0 victory that put them in position to win their first playoff series since 2001. Game 4 isn't until Wednesday at Staples Center, so only a few players skated. That group did not include winger Kyle Clifford, who suffered an apparent head injury in Game 1. "I think it's actually a good thing to have a few days off to regroup, to get our legs back and be able to prepare for the next game," defenseman Drew Doughty said.

The Kings were reaching into their therapeutic bag of tricks Saturday and coming up with several predictable ways of managing playoff success against Vancouver. Just call it Project Reset. With the Kings holding a 2-0 lead against the Canucks in this best-of-seven-game series - Game 3 is Sunday night at Staples Center - they were talking more about their shortcomings in the first two games in Vancouver, especially five-on-five, and used the word "reset" like a mantra.

VANCOUVER, Canada — Dustin Brown is not the type of captain who screams. He's not fiery by nature, and maybe that fueled speculation the struggling Kings would trade him before the deadline in order to turn around a disappointing season and get a better shot at a playoff spot. What Brown supposedly lacks doesn't matter. The physicality and fierce determination he has brought to his game the past six weeks have proved he's in his rightful place as the captain, a point he underscored Friday by scoring two short-handed goals in the Kings' 4-2 playoff upset of the top-seeded Canucks before an unhappy sellout crowd at Rogers Arena.