Rossi scores with 9.5 seconds left in regulation, Canucks beat Ducks 4-3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Marco Rossi scored with 9.5 seconds left in overtime to help the Vancouver Canucks beat Anaheim 4-3 on Sunday night and prevent the Ducks from clinching a playoff spot.

Anaheim has 90 points and can secure a playoff spot with a win Tuesday at Minnesota.

Curtis Douglas, Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser each added a goal for Vancouver. The Canucks' 56 points this season are the fewest in the NHL, 17 fewer than Calgary, the next closest. Nikita Tolopilo had 24 saves.

Cutter Gauthier scored two goals and Leo Carlsson added a goal for the Ducks. Gauthier has a career-high 40 goals this season. The 22-year-old is the fourth player in franchise history to score 40-plus goals in a single season.

Rossi scored with a one-timer from the right circle that beat goaltender Lukas Dostal glove side to win it. Dostal finished with 22 saves.

Gauthier opened the scoring at 3:41 of the first period.

Douglas answered about 10 minutes later and DeBrusk added a power-play goal with 5:23 left until the first intermission that gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead.

Boeser beat Dostal one on one for a short-handed goal at 4:28 of the third period, but Gauthier answered with his second goal 37 seconds later and Carlson made it 3-3 with 13:04 left in regulation.

Canucks: Host Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Ducks: Visit Minnesota on Tuesday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, top, scores past Vancouver Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

The shot by Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser goes past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, left, during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier, right, celebrates his goal with left wing Alex Killorn during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Vancouver Canucks center Marco Rossi, left, celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with defenseman Zeev Buium, center, in an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Doug Christie will return for a second full season as coach of the Sacramento Kings despite the team having one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

A person familiar with the decision said Sunday that Christie will return next season for the second year of a contract that also has a team option for 2027-28. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't announced the decision, which The Athletic was first to report.

Christie was initially hired on an interim basis after Mike Brown was fired early in the 2024-25 season. Sacramento went 27-24 the rest of the season before getting knocked out in the play-in tournament.

The Kings hired Scott Perry as general manager after last season and made the decision to retain Christie. This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start.

Sacramento had a league-worst 12-46 record in mid-February following a 16-game losing streak. The team showed some life late in the season, going 10-14 the rest of the way to harm their position in the draft lottery. The Kings finished tied with Utah for the fourth-worst record in the league and have a 45.2% chance of picking in the top four of the draft in June.

The 60 losses for Sacramento are the second-most in franchise history, behind the 65 the team had in 2008-09. The Kings have gotten solid contributions from rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, but are hoping for good fortune in the lottery to find a player to build around after the team traded away star De'Aaron Fox last season.

The Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 20 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown’s first season as coach.

Sacramento has the fourth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie shouts instructions from the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie speaks to the media before an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Alan Greth)