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Wednesday, Mar. 15 10:30pm ET
Smolinski supplies L.A. offense | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Kings acquired rugged right wing Kelly Buchberger just before the trading deadline to add some muscle and protect goal-scorers Luc Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy. But it was Buchberger's refusal to take dumb penalties, even after Anaheim defenseman Valeri Vishnevski tried to provoke him -- that helped the Kings escape Anaheim Arena with a 2-2 tie on Wednesday night. "We had a couple of guys tonight who took unnecessary penalties, but I thought Kelly showed great restraint by not going back and whacking him," Kings coach Andy Murray said. "The last word we had written on the board in the dressing room was 'composure.' And I thought that was a real good example of it." Bryan Smolinski recorded his second two-goal game of the season as the Kings rallied from two goals down. Jamie Storr stopped the last 34 shots -- three during a power play in overtime -- and finished with 37 saves to help extend the Kings' unbeaten streak to four games. Steve Rucchin and Oleg Tverdovsky scored less than five minutes apart on Anaheim's first two power plays. Guy Hebert made 20 saves, extending his unbeaten streak against the Kings to 6-0-2. "Not only are we playing for a playoff spot, but anytime we play against L.A., it's a pretty intense game," Rucchin said. "You've got to give them credit. They battled back tonight ..." The teams meet three more times this season. "It always seems to work out like that," former Ducks center Bob Corkum said. "The last couple of years, either they were in the playoffs and the Kings weren't, or vice-versa. So it's nice to have these cross-town rivalries when it means something. "It was a playoff atmosphere tonight." Right wing Nelson Emerson had an assist in his Kings debut, following Monday's trade that brought him and Buchberger from expansion Atlanta to Los Angeles. "Over here it's a team that's a little more established, so that definitely makes it a little more enjoyable," Emerson said. The Kings began their comeback just 47 seconds after Tverdovsky increased Anaheim's lead to 2-0. Emerson kept the puck in the Anaheim zone and fed it behind the net to Glen Murray, whose centering pass found Smolinski at the edge of the crease. "Nelson's a veteran player and he's a little more seasoned than Jason," Smolinski said in reference to former linemate Jason Blake. "He can make better plays for our line, because he's a little grittier, and he's a right-handed shot." Smolinski, whose entire offensive contribution during the Kings' previous 13 games consisted of an empty-net goal, tied the score 59 seconds into the second period. He beat Hebert through the pads with a 35-foot slap shot for his 20th of the season. The Ducks, 18th in the league on power-play conversions, scored on two of their first three shots against Storr. On a power play, Fredrik Olausson played the puck off the right boards and sent a soft shot toward the net. Rucchin redirected it past Storr for his 100th NHL goal and 16th of the season. Tverdovsky got his 13th goal just 19 seconds on another power play. The defenseman was 15 feet from Storr in the left circle when he converted Teemu Selanne's pass from behind the net. "We had some miscommunication on the penalty kill on both goals, but you've got to give us credit. We didn't pack it in," Corkum said. "We came back, worked hard, and Smolinski had a great game to bail us out." Palffy injured his right shoulder in the third period and did not return. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Los Angeles Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS Dallas 3 New Jersey 2
Los Angeles 2
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