A much more lively crowd supported the L.A. Kings on Saturday night than the woeful number who had waited through the yawner the team had put together a couple of nights before against the Panthers. The place was nearly full, in fact, and attendance was announced at 17,182, or about 900 short of a sellout.

The home team started fast, with a power play goal at 3:01, Anze Kopitar scoring for the first time since October 17th, and netting just his second goal of the season. The play started when Dustin Brown shot at Manny Legace and saw the puck go through the goalie and squirt out the left side (the goalie’s right). Kopitar followed the play to the net and picked up the loose puck, carried it around, and shot it into the open right side. Legace couldn’t get over because two of his own men were collapsed in on him. He would later comment on the goal saying, “We [the line] were on. We were working hard the previous games, and it just didn’t go in. Tonight really came through and I’m personally pretty happy.”

When asked about having a multi-point game, he said, “I’m pretty happy, especially about the goal; I was waiting for that one.”

The rest of the period saw the Kings dominate a Blues squad depleted of one of its stars, Paul Kariya. He had been hurt earlier in the week and will likely be out for another couple of games, according to media reports. He took a shot off the foot against Anaheim on Wednesday, and is also suffering from a hip-flexor problem.

Near the end of the frame, however, the Blues started to put forth a more concerted effort, and they narrowed the shot margin, which had been 9-5 in the Kings’ favor with 2:31 left, to 9-8. This despite St. Louis having a couple of penalties in the last two minutes.

The second period began with the Blues again strong on the puck and the Kings letting them have their space. But LA scored once more, again on the power play. Oscar Moller took a slapshot that was blocked and went right out to Kyle Quincey. He flipped a shot toward the net which hit Alexander Frolov and went in. It was Frolov’s fifth goal of the season.

Part of the Kings’ success in the period was due to strong goaltending, notably on the power play when Kyle Calder was off with about eight minutes left to go. The Blues got their short passing game going, and near the end of the power play, they fired in on net with guys collapsing down. Erik Ersberg moved from his left to his right and got down low to block a shot along the ice. His play was not without notice, with his coach saying after, “I thought Ersberg was good; he was very good in the second period, particularly on a couple of power play opportunities. He came up for us.”

Before the period ended, the Kings got a third goal, by Tom Preissing. This one came on a play when the Kings set up in the Blues’ zone and Preissing fired a slapshot that rose as it headed to the net from just inside the blueline. It made it all the way to the goal, and in, surprising the Blues’ goaltender, if his reaction was anything to judge by. The tally was Preissing’s second in two games and third of the season. He had spent the latter part of October sitting out, having been a healthy scratch for four games between the 24th and 30th of the month. Terry Murray said of him, “He’s playing with composure. He’s got a bigger focus on the defensive part of the game, and he’s competing. He’s [also] got the ability to come up with a big goal when it’s needed, as he did again tonight. I like what he’s doing.”

Fans cheered, though they might have done so a little bit more had the play happened nineteen seconds later, because then their tickets would have entitled them to an ice cream at a certain fast food giant after leaving the game. Oh well—they might remember the lesson about getting what you wish for that those who showed up learned Thursday night. (See my column on the Kings-Panthers game of November 6th if you’re curious.)

The third period saw a defensive breakdown by the Kings with a couple of minutes gone, and Andy McDonald whipped a wrist shot from the slot that went over the glove hand of Ersberg. The shots at this point were almost even, at twenty-one Kings and eighteen Blues.

The middle of the period featured good back and forth play, with both sides getting chances. For instance, the Kings’ Calder was set up right in front by Dustin Brown in one of those instances when it seems like he almost had too much time. He deked, deked again, had a cup of coffee, and then tried a shot under Legace’s glove side. Save. The shots were still about even, with the Kings up 25-23 in that department, and just as had been the case all period, play next went down into the LA end and stayed there for a couple of minutes.

As things started to wind down, the Blues came on some. What offense the Kings were generating was one guy alone, with first Moller going in one-on-one and then O’Sullivan, but neither generating a scoring chance. Moller shot wide, and O’Sullivan was forced too wide and saw the puck skid to the boards, where he crashed after it.

At mid-period, the Kings increased their 3-1 lead when Barret Jackman took a pointless interference penalty by clocking Moller in the neutral zone. Drew Doughty converted with a slapshot from the slot, a rising one which put the Kings up 4-1. Murray said that he’s enjoying watching the young defenseman play, and hopes that Doughty is enjoying the experience himself. “You hope that all this playing hockey as a young player and his parents driving him to games and now to be a young player in the NHL, that he appreciates it. A lot of it is a gift, and the other part of it you develop through putting in a lot of hours, and it’s nice to see him rewarded.”

Back on the ice, Jackman took a cheap shot to the head of Peter Harrold, which was immediately avenged by Sean O’Donnell, who threw down with Jackman but probably got the worst of things. Shortly after, the St. Louis team scored a second goal on a wrist shot from high in the slot by Berglund, which Ersberg apparently didn’t see. It went under him between his legs with not even a flich from the goalie.

At this point, the shots were 26-25 in favor of the Kings, the lead was two goals, and the crowd was still all in their seats. Good thing, because early leavers would have missed a long offensive shift by the Blues with about five minutes left. They worked the puck around the edges before firing it toward the net. The crowd collapsed towards Ersberg, but the puck stayed out. A scrum ensued, but resulted in nothing more than face-washes being exchanged by Keith Tkachuk and Brian Boyle.

But with a couple of minutes left, Boyes scored for the Blues to make it 4-3, after Andy Murray did his patented early goalie pull. The eyes in the crowd started to roll, the question on everyone’s mind being whether the Kings were going for the late collapse again. They didn’t, and they even added an insurance goal, albeit maybe not the smartest one possible, by Dustin Brown. He shot it toward the Blues’ goal from the center of the ice but at least two steps on his own side of the red line. It could have been an icing, and possible disaster, but it went into the center of the net and the home crew sealed it at 5-3.

All through the proceedings, the L.A. crowd yelled and clapped, following the prompting of the organ. They had fun, in other words, something that seemed entirely lacking two nights before despite a similar win by their local boys.

Notes

Coach Terry Murray reached an important NHL milestone by coaching his 750th game in the league.

The Kings scratched Derek Armstrong, Brad Richardson, and John Zeiler.

When asked whether he’d go with Ersberg again on Tuesday when Dallas comes in, Murray said with a growing smile, “We have a day off tomorrow, but we’ll get together on Monday at 10am and evaluate things. We’re trying to put a lineup together that will help us on a game-by-game basis, and he’s been a big part of this game tonight.” Fans know that the “will you stay with your goalie” question is one that LA coaches have been reluctant to answer over the years. Murray is no different, but at least he has fun with it.