St. Louis Blues vs Los Angeles Kings
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 12, 2017
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet360, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Kings 2, Blues 1

Oddsmakers currently have the ST LOUIS listed as 120-moneyline favorites versus the LOS ANGELES, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

LOS ANGELES — The St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings meet Thursday at Staples Center as both attempt to get back on track after poor home performances in their previous contests. The game is second of their three-game season series, with the Blues capturing a 1-0 victory on Oct. 29 with Jaden Schwartz scoring the lone goal.

The Blues (21-16-5) ended a six-game home stand on a sour note with a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. They posted a 3-3-0 record on the stand and have played mediocre hockey since early December, going 7-8-2 since Dec. 3 primarily due to poor defensive play and goaltending (24 goals against in their last 7 games).

The Los Angeles game is the start of a three-game California road trip that includes visits to Anaheim and San Jose and concludes Sunday as the team tries to find consistency in their play.

“We win one and then we get away from our game,” said captain Alex Pietrangelo after the Boston loss. “Mentally, we were ready to play from the start. I think we’re making bad decisions with the puck and other teams are taking advantage of it.”

St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock pointed to starting goaltender Jake Allen’s struggles as an additional reason for the team’s recent play. Allen was pulled in the Boston loss after surrendering three goals on 11 shots and is feeling the pressure as the number one goaltender after Brian Elliott was dealt to Calgary in the offseason. His .904 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average are career-worst numbers.

“He’s not stopping the puck right now,” said Hitchcock. “Probably some of it is confidence, for him it the first time that things have not gone smoothly in his career, he’s going to have to battle like the rest of us. We can help out too by playing better in front of him.”

The Kings (20-17-4) have similar challenges, losing two of their first three games of a seven-game home stand to sub-.500 teams, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. In their 6-4 loss to Dallas Monday, Los Angeles had poor performances from their defense (Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin registered -4 ratings) and goaltending (Peter Budaj surrendered 5 goals on 22 shots before being pulled in the third period) continuing a long stretch of inconsistent play.

Since Dec. 1, the Kings have an 8-7-3 record as they continue to struggle to produce offensive consistently. Their 102 goals rank third worst in the Western Conference, only ahead of the cellar-dwelling Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche. Only 2017 All-Star Game selection Jeff Carter (22 goals) and Tanner Pearson (11 goals) have registered double-digit goals and speculation has surfaced that the organization is pursuing trade options to prop up its floundering offense.

“Jeff Carter has been carrying this team and it seems if he doesn’t get a goal no one steps up and fills that void,” said forward Jordan Nolan. “We win two, win three, then lose two, lose three. It’s starting to get a little old. We’re starting to get to crunch time here.”

Since winning Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, every season holds high expectations for Los Angeles and, with them presently outside the top three Pacific Division qualifiers for an automatic playoff qualification, the sense of urgency around the team is dialing up during this home stand. They have a solid 12-6-1 home record and the importance of finishing this stretch of home game strong with nine road games in their next 10 games following their Jan. 18 game against the San Jose Sharks.

“We have to put a stretch of wins together,” said captain Anze Kopitar. “We still have four game at home, so we have to make sure we take care of business. We’re not as nearly consistent as we need to be.”

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Carolina Hurricanes vs Los Angeles Kings
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Carolinas, FSN West (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Kings 3, Hurricanes 1

LOS ANGELES — After a three-day break, the Los Angeles Kings will try to make their way back to the winners’ circle as they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at Staples Center.

The Kings have been off since Sunday, when they were dealt a 5-4 loss in a shootout by the Montreal Canadiens. The Kings (13-10-2) were 5-0 in extra periods before Sunday’s setback.

Six of the game’s goals, a season-tying four by the Kings, occurred in the second period and allowed Los Angeles to grab a 4-3 advantage before fading in the end. Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis also tallied for the Kings.

“The pucks were just going in; I don’t know why that was,” said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who scored on a power play during the barrage and earned his second multi-point game of the season. “Both teams were flying and a couple times we got the lead and let them back in it and that was our downfall. When you get the lead, you want to get the next goal right away and kind of carry it away from them, but they were able to capitalize pretty quick after we got the lead.”

Center Jeff Carter, who scored a power-play goal against the Canadiens, continued his hot streak for the Kings, who have captured six of their last eight contests. Carter remains the club’s points leader with 21 (11 goals, 10 assists) and has been a steady force behind the team’s recent fortunes along with linemates Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson.

Center Anze Kopitar, who recorded three assists in the setback to the Canadiens, defenseman Alec Martinez, and Toffoli all have produced 14 points for the Kings.

Kopitar, who has a club-high 12 assists, is two shy of 700 for his career. He also remains a goal away from tying Wayne Gretzky for sixth on the Kings’ all-time list with 245.

The Hurricanes (10-10-6) are playing the second end of a back-to-back. The Hurricanes dropped a disappointing 6-5 shootout decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center.

Carolina held a 5-3 lead in the final five minutes of regulation before allowing Anaheim to score a pair of goals within 91 seconds of each other to force the extra sessions.

Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie delivered his sixth goal by redirecting a slap shot by Cam Fowler from the blue line with 3:59 remaining. With 2:28 left, Corey Perry ended a drought of 18 consecutive games by scoring his fifth goal on a shot from the right circle to knot the score at 5.

“They worked their way through the neutral zone on us way too easy,” Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey said. “Two of the goals were right off the rush, and the other one was tipped in.

“We do a really good job most of the time of clogging up the neutral zone and not giving up anything. But we got a little too free-flowing through the neutral zone and gave up some chances.”

The Hurricanes have lost six of their last eight games. Before their loss to the Ducks, Carolina scored no more than two goals in each of their previous seven road games.

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San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings
When: 10:30 PM ET, Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their season-high five-game winning streak in another encounter with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night at Staples Center.

The Kings, who have won six in a row at home, will face the Sharks for the first time at Staples since San Jose bounced them from the opening round of last season’s playoffs. The Sharks defeated the Kings 2-1 in the season opener on Oct. 12 at San Jose.

“They beat us the first game of the year, so it’s time that we owe them,” said Kings center Tyler Toffoli, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Kings (12-9-1) have been off since Saturday, when they recorded a 2-1 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples. Carter scored the game-winner, his league-leading sixth such goal of the season, at 1:06 of the extra session.

Carter is on a roll. He leads the Kings in points (19) and goals (10) and is tied for tops in assists (nine). Carter has five goals and three assists in the past five games.

“Carter is playing very good right now, he’s working hard and he is a veteran player,” Kings goalie Peter Budaj said. “He has done it for many years, he knows what to do. He doesn’t get too high or too low. He has to stick to the system and wait for his opportunity.”

Budaj believes the Kings are thriving with contributions from several players. He could include himself, as he has 12 wins in 18 starts this season since taking over as the regular. He replaced Jonathan Quick, who is out indefinitely after sustaining a groin injury in the opener against the Sharks.

“It is a combination of everybody, and I think the power play in OT (against the Blackhawks) was moving the puck really well and recovering after the blocks,” Budaj said. “It goes hand in hand, but it’s a team effort to get a chance to win every night.”

In addition to Carter, solid performances from Alec Martinez and Toffoli are boosting the Kings. Martinez and Toffoli are tied for second with 14 points each (five goals, nine assists). Martinez scored his fifth goal, tops among Los Angeles defenseman, against the Blackhawks.

Toffoli recorded a point in four of the past five contests.

The Sharks (13-9-1) are playing the second end of a back-to-back. San Jose seized the top spot in the Pacific Division by a point over the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers when they earned a 2-1 decision in overtime against the visiting Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.

Defenseman Brent Burns scored a power-play goal just 19 seconds into the extra frame. The Sharks won four of five during their just-completed homestand.

It was the first time they defeated the Coyotes in three tries this season.

“They’re just tough games,” Burns said. “We haven’t really found the points from that team this year. I mean, every game is going to be tough. They’re no different.”

Burns has a team-high nine goals this season. He and center Joe Pavelski have a club-best 21 points apiece. Pavelski and center Logan Couture both have seven goals.

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Los Angeles vs San Jose
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 21, 2015
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVA2
PREDICTION: Kings 4, Sharks 2
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Oddsmakers currently have the Kings listed as 110-moneyline favorites versus the Sharks, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

San Jose’s recent swoon has it holding onto a playoff spot for dear life. The club currently occupies the second wild-card slot in the Western Conference with a one-point lead over Minnesota and a two-point advantage over Los Angeles. Those leads easily could disappear as the Wild and Kings have two and three games in hand, respectively. Joe Thornton needs one assist to snap a tie with Dale Hawerchuk (891) for 20th place on the all-time list.

San Jose was a 5-2 winner in its last match on the road against the Stars. They won as -105 underdogs, while the total score of 7 made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 30-22-8
San Jose is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Jose’s last 5 games
San Jose is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Los Angeles

The latest version of “That 70s Line” is clicking on all cylinders of late. Toffoli has registered six goals and three assists over his last six games while Carter and newest member Dwight King both are riding five-game point streaks. Carter has scored four goals and set up five others while King, who is filling in for the injured Tanner Pearson, has recorded three tallies and five assists.

The Kings were a 4-1 winner in their most recent outing on the road against the Avalanche. That made winners of bettors who got Los Angeles at -136 on the moneyline, while the total score (5) was good news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 27-18-12
Current Streak: won 6 straight games.
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Jose

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The NHL is increasing its popular outdoor games, which in the past had been limited to on or around New Year’s Day. There likely will be six next season.

Toronto and Detroit will meet at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Jan 1, the Anaheim Ducks will play the Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 5 and the Chicago Blackhawks will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field on March 1.

The games at Yankee Stadium were announced Wednesday. A game between Ottawa and Vancouver at BC Place on March 2 also is being planned.

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Chicago is moving on in the postseason for the first time since the championship run in 2010, and will face either San Jose or Detroit if the Red Wings get past Anaheim.

“We knew we hadn’t done it in two years,” Hossa said. “Minnesota, they still have a great team and are missing some players. We found a way. Now we get ready for the next round.”

The way the Blackhawks have dominated, anything less than a trip to the Stanley Cup finals would be a disappointment for them.

They got off to a record start and captured the Presidents’ Trophy for finishing with more points than any other team.

Now, they’re eyeing the biggest prize of all. And after bowing out in the first round the past two years, they sure are looking good.

Hossa scored off a feed from Jonathan Toews late in the first period. Marcus Kruger made it 2-0 with a wraparound early in the second, and Hossa chased the Wild’s Josh Harding when he knocked in a rebound minutes later.

Then, after Torrey Mitchell scored for Minnesota, Chicago’s Andrew Shaw scored against Darcy Kuemper. Patrick Sharp added his fifth goal of the series early in the third period, and that was more than enough for Crawford.

Coming off his second career playoff shutout, he saved 21 shots, and the Blackhawks became the third team to advance in this postseason, along with San Jose and Ottawa. They also bucked a recent trend of early exits for Presidents’ Trophy winners.

The team with the most regular-season points had been eliminated in the first round in three of the previous four years. The Wild were hoping to replicate what the Los Angeles Kings did last year and win the Stanley Cup as the eighth seed, but the Blackhawks simply had too much skill, speed and depth.

The Wild were also short-handed after losing one of their top scorers in Dany Heatley to season-ending left shoulder surgery late in the season. They also had to get by without goalie Niklas Backstrom after he suffered a leg injury in warm-ups before Game 1.

That forced the Wild to go with Harding, who played in just five games during the regular season after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last summer. And he also got banged up in this series. He left Game 4 after a collision with Toews in which his legs got straddled around the left goal post, and he wasn’t sharp in this one, allowing three goals on 18 shots even though he was deemed well enough to start.

Coach Mike Yeo turned to Kuemper after Hossa’s second goal. He also insisted the injury in Game 4 wasn’t a factor in Harding’s performance in this one.

“It wasn’t,” Yeo said. “I don’t want to pin this loss on Josh, either. Credit them and their team.”

There was also a question about Yeo’s job security after this loss. The Wild were widely considered Stanley Cup contenders after they gave free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter identical 13-year, $98 million contracts last summer. But they never quite lived up to expectations.

“I can’t answer that,” Yeo said. “All I can say is if you want to look at it objectively, statistically, if you really want to look at it properly, then there’ve been a lot of improvements in our organization and our team. I feel that we’re going in the right direction.”

For a moment, the Wild looked like they might get back into this one.

Moments after Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon hit the right post, Mitchell ripped a one-timer past Crawford midway through the second period. But Shaw answered 35 seconds later with his first career playoff goal when he swept the puck in from a bad angle just to the right of the net, making it 4-1.

Crawford, meanwhile, continued to erase doubts about his ability to perform in the postseason. That was a big question coming into this series after he let in several soft goals in last year’s first-round loss to Phoenix. He’s been nothing but solid in this series.

“He’s making saves that he needs to make and he’s making saves that he shouldn’t be making,” Sharp said. “When he does that, it breeds confidence throughout the lineup and it filters through everybody.”

He even had the fans chanting his name at several points. For example, when Crawford stopped a routine shot by Jason Pominville from the wing and scrambled back toward the middle of the net for a neat pad save against Mikko Koivu on the rebound. That foiled another power play by the Wild after they went 0-for-15 in the first four games.

The Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Hossa took a feed from Toews in the left circle and fired the puck between Harding’s glove and the post. The assist gave Toews his first point of the playoffs.

Kruger made it 2-0 when his wraparound deflected off Harding’s pad and into the net for his first career playoff goal.

Game notes

Blackhawks C Dave Bolland and G Ray Emery remain sidelined by lower body injuries, although coach Joel Quenneville said they’re “real close.” Bolland said it’s 50-50 he would have been able to play if “it was do-or-die” for the Blackhawks, but he expects to be ready in the next round. … Quenneville moved ahead of Mike Keenan and took sole possession of second place on the Blackhawks’ playoff wins list with 34. Billy Reay is the club record-holder with 57 from 1963-77.

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Barret Jackman said his eyes were closed when his first career playoff goal sailed past Jonathan Quick and into the net with 50.6 seconds to go in a 2-1 victory Thursday night. It gave the Blues a 2-0 series lead against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

“He probably didn’t think I was going to shoot, the way my hands are,” Jackman said. “The building erupted, and it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Quick knows he’s to blame for the Kings’ predicament. He was often spectacular in Game 1 but spoiled it with a stickhandling gaffe that led to Alexander Steen’s short-handed overtime goal. Quick thought he would glove the puck on Jackman’s innocent-appearing wrist shot.

“I’ve got to stop that. I’ve got to stop that,” said Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient. “It’s my fault. Two games in a row. I’ve got to be better.”

Jackman, a rugged, stay-at-home type who totaled three goals and 12 points in the regular season, joined a rush and scored off a pass from Chris Stewart.

“A great little floater he sent to the net,” said teammate Patrik Berglund, who had tied it earlier in the third period. “A great screen so he couldn’t see it.”

Berglund’s deflection tied it early in the third period for St. Louis, which was swept by the Kings in the second round last season while getting outscored 15-6.

“We stole one there,” said forward David Perron, who assisted on the first goal. “The biggest thing is to come back as soon as we can to earth and get ready for Game 3.”

Dustin Brown scored for the Kings, who’ll try to rebound in Game 3 on Saturday night.

“It’s our own fault that we’re in this position,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We’ve been fully prepared for their game, fully prepared for what they’re going to do against us, and we just haven’t stepped up to the plate.

“Tonight was a better effort, but we were only good for two periods.”

The Kings led 3-0 in every playoff series last year and are down 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 2002, when they lost in seven games to Colorado.

“It’s four games to win a series, so we’ve just got to focus on the next one,” Brown said. “We’ve got to take care of our home ice. That’s it.”

The Blues responded after coach Ken Hitchcock called a timeout with just less than three minutes remaining. They have won eight in a row at home, allowing one goal in each of the eight games.

Brown lost his edge on a drive to the net and barreled into Brian Elliott midway through the third period, leaving both players shaken up a bit. Brown recovered quickly enough to stay on for the ensuing faceoff.

Berglund tied it at 3:44 of the third with his fourth career playoff goal, charging the net and having a rebound go off his skate and past Quick. He was skidding to a stop when Quick poke-checked a wrist shot by Alex Pietrangelo, and it took less than a minute for the goal to be upheld on video review.

Jaden Schwartz lured Quick out of the net on a break-in a little more than a minute later but didn’t get off a shot.

Quick was bent over in pain for several seconds during warm-ups after stopping a shot, then left the ice early. The goalie also spent most of the national anthem bent over as if he were an NFL offensive lineman but then busily went to work scratching the crease with no evidence he was hurt.

Elliott was not made available to media after the game, leading to speculation he was injured, but Hitchcock said, “He’s fine, no problem.”

The Kings got off to a much better start in Game 2, carrying the play most of the first period. They needed just 6 seconds to convert on a 5-on-3 advantage for their first lead of the series, with Jackman whistled for interference on the heels of a high-sticking call on Ryan Reaves.

L.A.’s strong play carried over to the second period, with Quick making a nice glove save against Steen on the Blues’ lone shot on two power plays.

The Kings threatened on break-ins by Brown and Justin Williams. Brown, among the league leaders with eight power-play goals, then deflected Brad Richards’ high wrist shot from the slot, and the puck dropped to ice level and slid between Elliott’s pads at 9:55. Richards had two goals and three assists during the Kings’ three-game sweep of St. Louis in the regular season.

Game notes

Blues penalty killers had to stop just two chances in Game 1, although it would have been three if Steen hadn’t pickpocketed Quick for the NHL’s first short-handed winner in overtime since Fernando Pisani of Edmonton against Carolina in the 2006 Cup finals, and the first in franchise history. … Blues did not sell out either of the first two games, with attendance of 18,681 for Game 2 about 1,000 shy of capacity. … Brett Hull, the Blues’ career leading goal scorer, was introduced to a huge ovation late in the second period.

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They turned that, just barely, into a critical win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Charlie Coyle and Cal Clutterbuck scored 16 seconds apart late in the first period, helping the Wild break their five-game home losing streak and hang on to beat the Kings 2-1 on Tuesday night.

“I really believe that competitors in games like that find a way to go out and be really good,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “And that’s what we had.”

Jeff Carter’s slap shot whizzed past Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom with an improbable 0.8 seconds left before the second intermission, pulling the Kings within one. It was Carter’s 26th goal, tied for third in the NHL. Then as the Kings created some late energy, Slava Voynov’s shot from the far edge of the right circle was stopped by a sprawling Backstrom with 11 seconds remaining in the game to preserve the lead.

“You’ve got to play 60 minutes playing a desperate hockey team,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said, adding: “We turned the puck over too much in the first period. Eventually, when you have that much skill on the other side, they’re going to score.”

With a 3-7-1 record in the last 11 games since this month began and that playoff spot still unsecured, the Wild badly needed a victory. After losing their past two games by a combined 10-2 margin, their hold on seventh place in the Western Conference was tenuous with two games left in the regular season after this.

“The bar has been set, and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to bring at least that the next game,” Yeo said.

Clutterbuck snapped an 18-game streak without a goal. Relentless on both ends all night with his new linemate Devin Setoguchi, Clutterbuck raised his arms in celebration after his tight-angle shot sneaked between Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier and the left post. He jumped against the boards, with the Wild ahead 2-0.

“This was probably the biggest game I’ve ever played in for this franchise, so I was excited,” Clutterbuck said.

The Kings failed to get a point for only the third time in their last 15 games. Bernier, in the net for the first time in seven games in relief of Jonathan Quick, made 23 saves. The Kings can’t do better than the fourth seed, but they don’t want to fall to fifth or sixth and lose that home-ice advantage for the first round. San Jose and St. Louis have been right behind all month.

“We didn’t play three periods. We didn’t deserve to win the game,” Kings captain Dustin Brown said.

Brown fired up the Wild with a vicious-looking elbow to the jaw of Jason Pominville in the second period that went without penalty and knocked Pominville on his back. He woozily and slowly skated off the ice with a trainer’s guidance and didn’t return to the bench. Yeo said he had no update on Pominville’s condition and declined to comment on the hit. Brown, who had the puck on his stick at the time, said he was trying to brace himself for a hit from Pominville.

“We’ve seen it on the replay, but I’m sure someone will look at it,” Setoguchi said. “The game’s going fast. From our end, it was right in the head on the face.”

The Wild already without one of their top scorers in Dany Heatley for the remainder of the season. Losing Pominville for any stretch would be a significant setback.

“I think we handled it really well, and that’s something to be focusing on,” said Backstrom, who stopped 22 shots. “Grow on that, that nothing rattles us no matter what happens there.”

Game notes

Kings C Anze Kopitar has his goal-less streak reach 14 straight games. … The Wild’s AHL affiliate, moving to Des Moines, Iowa, next season, will be called, naturally, the Iowa Wild. … Josh Harding was on the active roster as Backstrom’s backup for the first time since early February. Harding was placed on injured reserve after developing complications from the multiple sclerosis medication he’s been taking, and he was returned from a conditioning stint with Houston on Monday. … Bernier’s shutout streak against the Wild ended at 89:06. … Fourth-line enforcer Zenon Konopka returned from a foot injury for the Wild.

The post Cal Clutterbuck, Charlie Coyle help Wild stay alive in playoff race appeared first on IdealCapper.

The defending Stanley Cup champions are on another roll, and the chemistry they developed during last year’s title run is starting to show.

Kopitar scored on a slick pass from King with 4:48 to play, and Los Angeles rallied from a third-period deficit for its fifth straight victory, 2-1 over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles is on its longest winning streak of the season, capturing seven of eight overall after a 3-5-2 start to its title defense. Jonathan Bernier made 32 saves for the Kings, who are succeeding with the formula that won the Cup last season: stellar goaltending backed by opportunistic offense from all four lines.

“I think we’re putting together a pretty good streak here, and we’ve got to keep it going,” Kopitar said. “We know we had a bit of a slow start and we’ve got some catching up to do.”

One day after trading seven-time, 20-goal scorer Simon Gagne to Philadelphia for a conditional draft pick, the Kings began with 50 scoreless minutes against Jimmy Howard, who stopped 27 shots.

The Kings finally tied it with 9:34 left on Jeff Carter’s goal during a two-man advantage. King then made a spinning pass from the boards in front to Kopitar, who beat Howard for his sixth goal of the season.

Late goals from two veteran stars thrilled the sellout crowd at Staples Center, where the Kings completed an unbeaten February run — albeit in just four home games. Los Angeles also avenged a last-minute loss to the Wings in Detroit 17 days earlier.

“We thought we deserved better in Detroit, so maybe it all comes down to the hockey god, right?” Kings coach Darryl Sutter asked. “I don’t think we had much in the tank, to be honest. The goaltender was the difference in the game.”

Except for a misadventure with his glove on Quincey’s goal, Bernier was outstanding in the backup goalie’s fourth consecutive victory since Feb. 2.

Kyle Quincey scored his first goal of the season on a misplay by Bernier in the first period, and the mistake was the only thing that prevented the Red Wings from getting shut out for the first time since their season opener.

The Red Wings had won two straight after an 0-3-2 skid, but Detroit blew a 40-minute lead for just the second time in nine games this season, while the Kings rallied from a two-period deficit for the second time this year.

“I’ve got to give us a chance to win, but it wasn’t enough,” Howard said. “We were playing a great road game there. We were just grinding it out and making smart plays. (But it) doesn’t matter who you play, you can’t be giving up three 5-on-3s.”

Center Johan Franzen returned to Detroit’s lineup after missing seven games with a hip injury, and defenseman Brendan Smith returned from an 11-game absence with an injured shoulder. Quincey also returned after missing the past two games with an injured ankle.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock used the injury turnover to shake up his lineup, benching defensemen Ian White and Kent Huskins.

“We built on our last game there with a lot of movement, a lot of shots,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “Only thing we didn’t have is goals.”

Detroit dominated play early and scored on a comical misplay by Bernier. After King gave away the puck, Quincey’s high shot toward the net popped out of Bernier’s glove and arced over his head, falling softly into the goal behind him.

Quincey hadn’t registered a point in 17 games this season, and hadn’t scored a goal since last March 19 against Washington.

Los Angeles showed more spark later, but its oft-struggling power play had a particularly low moment in the second period after three consecutive Red Wings penalties. Given two full minutes of 5-on-3 play, the Kings barely threatened Howard and the Detroit defensemen, who got a loud ovation from the red-clad fans crowding the lower bowl.

But the Kings got another 5-on-3 advantage midway through the third period when Pavel Datsyuk received a rare minor penalty for a faceoff violation, and Carter deflected Mike Richards’ shot through Howard’s legs for his 11th goal.

Carter scored a goal in his fifth straight game, one short of the longest streak of his career.

Game notes

Los Angeles LW Dustin Penner played in his 500th NHL game. He recently took the lineup spot of Gagne, who hadn’t scored a goal in 11 games this season. … Detroit D Carlo Colaiacovo is expected to return from a shoulder injury Sunday, which would put nine defensemen on the Red Wings roster. … Irish forward Robbie Keane attended the game along with most of the two-time defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy, who begin their regular season Sunday.

The post Kings overcome late deficit vs. Red Wings to win fifth straight game appeared first on IdealCapper.

Gagne spent his first 10 NHL seasons with the Flyers, but won his first Stanley Cup title last season in Los Angeles after a late-playoff return from a concussion. He hasn’t scored a goal in 11 games this season for the Kings, who decided the veteran didn’t fit in coach Darryl Sutter’s system.

Before Gagne even got up the nerve to ask for a trade, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi sent him back to Philadelphia.

“They just did it on their own,” Gagne said. “It just shows you the class those guys have. Even if it’s hard getting traded in the middle of the season, going to Philly — and they told me it was the best place for me to go — they’re really gentlemen to do that to me this year.”

Los Angeles will get a third-round pick if Philadelphia makes the playoffs or a fourth-round pick if the Flyers miss the postseason.

Gagne had 259 goals and 524 points in his decade with the Flyers, who traded him to Tampa Bay in July 2010 partly to get under the salary cap. The Kings signed him a year later, but Gagne has scored just 24 goals in 108 games since leaving Philadelphia.

“This is a good player that I’ve known a long time, and I know that if he would have wanted to go anywhere, that would be the place he wanted to go,” said Lombardi, a former Flyers scout. “Given that we had to do this, if we can, I would certainly put him someplace I know he’d be happy.”

Gagne scored a career-high 47 goals during the 2005-06 season while playing mostly on a line with Peter Forsberg and Mike Knuble, who re-signed with Philadelphia last month. Before the lockout last July, the Flyers re-signed Ruslan Fedotenko, who began his career alongside Gagne with the Flyers more than a decade ago.

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren spoke with Lombardi a few days ago about Gagne, but suddenly had urgency to add front-line depth. Matt Read is sidelined for six weeks with torn rib cage muscles, and Tye McGinn will be out for a few weeks after breaking an orbital bone in a fight with Toronto’s Matt Brown on Monday night.

“He improves our depth up front automatically,” said Holmgren, who traded Gagne three years ago. “He is a good two-way player that can skate. … Coaches have watched tape of him playing, so we feel comfortable that he is fine. He seems excited to be coming back, and looks forward to an opportunity to play and help us.”

The seven-time 20-goal scorer was sidelined for more than five months of his first season in Los Angeles with his latest concussion, but returned to action in the Stanley Cup finals. He played four games while winning his first NHL championship, but underwent neck surgery five days after raising the Cup for the first time.

Gagne’s ice time was down sharply this season, and he had been a healthy scratch recently for the Kings (9-6-2), who have won four straight after a slow start. Gagne had five assists this season, but lost playing time recently to fellow veteran Dustin Penner.

Gagne only recently pulled up some of his Philly roots. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette has been renting Gagne’s old house in Philadelphia’s New Jersey suburbs for the past 2½ years, but Gagne recently sold the house, with the closing scheduled for March 15.

While Los Angeles started clicking after a slow start, Philadelphia is off to just a 9-11-1 start despite scoring 60 goals, third in the Eastern Conference.

Gagne has a $3.5 million salary for the season and will be a free agent this summer, but Holmgren said the Flyers could afford him after losing players to injury.

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