Game 37: Kings 4, Coyotes 3 (FINAL)

Can the Kings make it a tough night for their former goalie, Jason LaBarbera, and finally break the two-goal curse? All the action will be on Fox Sports West and on 1150-AM and affiliates, with all the game updates here as well…

THIRD PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Quick against LaBarbera.
Kings 3, Coyotes 2: The Kings had gone 14 consecutive games without scoring three goals in regulation, but that ended 1:48 into the third period. Dustin Penner controlled the puck behind the Phoenix net, then walked it out along the boards. Penner left a pass for Willie Mitchell, who skated it and shot from near the outside of the circle and beat LaBarbera. Justin Williams also got an assist.
Kings 4, Coyotes 2: The Kings scored a fourth goal — yes, four — at the 7:06 mark of the third period. After Colin Fraser stood up a Phoenix player in the defensive zone, Jack Johnson fed a nice pass into the offensive zone. With a burst of speed, Dustin Brown skated onto the puck and shot from near the middle of the right circle. LaBarbera made the stop, but the puck trickled through and over the line. Curtis McElhinney replaced LaBarbera in goal after Brown’s goal.
Kings 4, Coyotes 3: The Kings’ two-goal lead lasted only 33 seconds, though, as Daymond Langkow scored at the 7:39 mark. Mikkel Boedker got around Drew Doughty in the Kings’ zone and Quick made the save, but Langkow skated onto the rebound and knocked it past Quick from close range. Oliver Ekman-Larsson also got an assist.
Gagne out: Simon Gagne is not on the Kings’ bench and has not taken a shift in the third period. No update on his status has yet been provided.
End of game: The Kings outshot the Coyotes 35-29.

SECOND PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Quick against LaBarbera.
Kings 2, Coyotes 2: Phoenix tied the game with 6:57 remaining in the second period. Patrick O’Sullivan controlled the puck in the Kings’ zone and fed a long, accurate stretch pass to Raffi Torres, who got behind the Kings’ defense in the neutral zone, skated in alone and beat Quick for his second goal of the game. David Schlemko also got an assist.
End of period: The Coyotes outshot the Kings 10-8 in the period. The Kings will be on the power play for the first 1:26 of the third period.

FIRST PERIOD
In goal: It’s the Kings’ Jonathan Quick against the Coyotes’ Jason LaBarbera.
Kings 1, Coyotes 0: The Kings took the lead 4:09 into the game. Anze Kopitar did good work to keep the puck in the Coyotes’ zone, and Drew Doughty then showed some nice puck-handling skills to control the puck near the left boards. Doughty then fed a cross-ice pass to Rob Scuderi, who shot from above the right circle. With Kopitar and Brad Richardson running traffic in front, the shot beat LaBarbera and Scuderi got his first goal of the season.
Kings 1, Coyotes 1: Phoenix tied the game less than two minutes after Scuderi’s goal. The Kings threatened in the Coyotes’ zone, but Raffi Torres beat Jack Johnson to a loose puck near the blue line and started on a breakaway. Johnson tried to slow down Torres with a hook — there likely would have been a penalty shot — but Torres still got off a high shot that beat Quick and tied the game 5:58 into the first period.
Kings 2, Coyotes 1: The Kings got the lead back with 6:12 remaining in the first period. Jack Johnson’s point shot was saved, but Anze Kopitar secured the rebound and pushed the puck back to the blue line, to Slava Voynov, who took a shot. Voynov was initially credited with the goal, but it was changed to Brad Richardson, with a deflection on Voynov’s shot that beat LaBarbera. Voynov and Kopitar got assists.
End of period: The Kings outshot the Coyotes 15-6, went 0-for-1 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.