Game 44: Stars 5, Kings 4 (FINAL, SO)

A happy birthday to Kings radio analyst Daryl Evans, who turned 51 today. It’s the Kings hosting the Dallas Stars, with all the action on Fox Sports West and on 1150-AM and affiliates, and with all the game updates here as well…

OVERTIME
In goal: It’s still Quick vs. Lehtonen.
End of period: The Kings outshot the Stars 4-2 in overtime. There was a huge scrum in the final minute, which resulted in a 10-minute misconduct penalty to Drew Doughty. Anze Kopitar did not return, and the Kings officially described Kopitar’s injury as only an “upper-body injury.”

SHOOTOUT
Kings: Stoll, shot wide.
Stars: Ryder, save.

Kings: Brown, glove save.
Stars: Eriksson, GOAL.

Kings: Lewis, save.

THIRD PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Quick vs. Lehtonen.
Kings 3, Stars 3: The Kings tied the game with a 5-on-3 goal 6:38 into the period. The Kings controlled the puck down low in the Dallas zone, and Drew Doughty fed a pass across to Jack Johnson, who rifled a one-timer past Lehtonen from the right circle. Anze Kopitar also got an assist as Johnson recorded his third point of the game.
Kings 4, Stars 3: The Kings scored their third power-play goal of the game to take the first lead of the game, 8:55 into the third period. Anze Kopitar brought the puck up the left side then, from the boards, fired a centering pass. Dustin Brown went to the net, reached out his stick and deflected the puck into the net from close range. Justin Williams also got an assist. The Kings have scored three power-play goals in a game for the first time since March 8, 2010, against Columbus.
Kopitar out: Anze Kopitar was on the ice for an extended period after a big hit to the chest/neck by Dallas’ Brenden Morrow sent Kopitar hard into the boards. Mike Richards fought Morrow and got penalties for instigating and unsportsmanlike conduct and a 10-minute misconduct. Kopitar skated off the ice with help from trainer Chris Kingsley.
Kings 4, Stars 4: The Stars tied the game on the second of Richards’ penalties, after Dallas controlled the puck for almost all of the first two-plus minutes of the power play. Loui Eriksson got credit for the goal, after his centering pass got deflected into the Kings’ net off the stick of Willie Mitchell with 5:25 left in regulation. Michael Ryder and Alex Goligoski got assists. The Kings had killed 42 consecutive penalties before Eriksson’s power-play goal.
End of period: The Kings outshot the Stars 37-36 in regulation.

SECOND PERIOD
In goal: It’s still Quick vs. Lehtonen.
Kings 2, Stars 1: The Kings pulled within one goal with a power-play goal 6:16 into the period. In the final seconds of the power play, Jack Johnson took a shot from the left point. Anze Kopitar, stationed to the right of the net, deflected the puck past Lehtonen. Justin Williams also got an assist.
Stars 3, Kings 1: Dallas regained its two-goal lead just 58 seconds after Kopitar’s goal. Drew Doughty lost the puck in the offensive zone — the Kings wanted a penalty — and the Stars went on a counterattack. Michael Ryder dropped a pass for Alex Goligoski, who beat Quick with a one-timer at the 7:14 mark. Brenden Morrow also got an assist.
Stars 3, Kings 2: Trevor Lewis’ first goal of the season, at the 9:22 mark, made it a one-goal game again. Brad Richardson lifted the puck out of the defensive zone, and Dallas’ Nicklas Grossman reached for it in the neutral zone but couldn’t control it. That left an opening for Lewis, who skated onto the puck, started a breakaway and beat Lehtonen from close range. Jack Johnson also got an assist.
End of period: The Kings outshot the Stars 14-11 in the period and had a handful of strong scoring chances that didn’t result in goals. The Kings went 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.

FIRST PERIOD
In goal: It’s the Kings’ Jonathan Quick against the Stars’ Kari Lehtonen.
Stars 1, Kings 0: The Stars started to take control of the game midway through the period, and got rewarded with Loui Eriksson’s goal with 5:56 remaining in the period. Tom Wandell pushed the puck ahead in the Kings’ zone, toward Eriksson. The puck deflected off the skate of Slava Voynov and Eriksson controlled it and beat Quick with a high shot from close range.
Stars 2, Kings 0: Dallas took a 2-0 lead just 51 seconds later. Radek Dvorak pushed the puck to Eric Nystrom, who took the puck to the net with speed. The puck got poked away on Nystrom’s initial attempt, but Nystrom controlled his own rebound and scored with 5:05 remaining in the period.
End of period: Shots on goal were 16-16 in the period. The Kings went 0-for-1 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty.

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