Pacific Division rivals Los Angeles and
Phoenix will play eight times this season. If the first game was any
indication, the next seven should be bruising.
Michael Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov and Anze Kopitar each had a
goal and an assist, and the Kings beat the Coyotes 4-0 Thursday
night in a testy game that featured a combined 77 penalty minutes.
``You get to know them very well,'' Cammalleri said. ``They get
to know you very well. It turns into more of a grudge match than
anything else. You've got to try to win those divisional matchups.
That's going to put you in the playoffs.''
The Kings scored all of their goals on the power play and Phoenix
was assessed 57 penalty minutes. Los Angeles went 4-for-12 on the
power play and killed off all five of its penalties.
Rob Blake added two assists for the Kings, who snapped a
four-game losing streak. Backup goaltender Mathieu Garon stopped 40
shots to earn his ninth career shutout.
``It seems like it's always easier when you get a couple-goal
lead,'' Garon said. ``Tonight, we played awesome. The defencemen in
front of me, they blocked shots. I don't think (Phoenix) got any
rebounds.''
Phoenix lost for the fifth time in six games and remains mired in
last place in the Western Conference. The Coyotes, playing at home
for the first time since Oct. 7, were booed off the ice.
``What's disappointing is when you come off a trip and the first
period is so vital, and you've just got to stay out of the penalty
box,'' Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. ``I was telling the players
after the game, obviously this a low point.''
Phoenix defenceman Nick Boynton ambushed Los Angeles defenceman
Brent Sopel after Sopel levelled the Coyotes' Dave Scatchard in the
third period. Boynton was assessed 27 minutes in penalties _ 2 for
instigating, 5 for fighting and 10 each for misconduct and a game
misconduct.
Late in the game, the Kings' Sean Avery and the Coyotes' Shane
Doan were sent to the locker rooms with 10-minute misconduct
penalties after they tangled.
``As a group, you're frustrated,'' Doan said. ``We know that
we're better than we've shown so far.''
The Kings didn't look like the team that had played the night
before in a different city. Taking advantage of undisciplined play
by the Coyotes, Los Angeles built a 3-0 lead in the first period.
``The early power-play goals obviously were huge for us,'' Los
Angeles coach Marc Crawford said. ``Not only that, the early penalty
kills for us were good. That was the difference in the game. We got
the power-play goals and it seemed to really spur on our confidence.
That was a good victory for our team.''
Phoenix backup goalie Mike Morrison allowed three goals on 13
shots in a painful home debut as a Coyote. Gretzky replaced Morrison
with No. 1 goalie Curtis Joseph after one period.
``We definitely needed a change in momentum,'' Gretzky said. ``I
thought that was the right thing to do to maybe give us a spark more
than anything.''
With Coyotes defenceman Ed Jovanovski serving a delay of game
penalty, Frolov scored to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at 4:52 of the
first period. It was Frolov's third goal of the season.
Los Angeles went up 2-0 when Kopitar scored on a rebound of
Blake's slapshot at 16:29. It was Kopitar's third goal of the year.
The power play came when Phoenix defenceman Dennis Seidenberg was
sent off for hooking.
Another hooking penalty, on Owen Nolan, put the Kings on the
power play 33 seconds later. Los Angeles left wing Dustin Brown made
it 3-0 with his first goal of the year at 17:18.
Los Angeles went ahead 4-0 on Cammalleri's fourth goal of the
season at 18:38 of the second period. The Coyotes were already two
men short when Zbynek Michalek was sent off for crosschecking.
Phoenix killed off the two-man advantage before Cammalleri scored on
a 5-on-4.
Notes: The Coyotes fell to 1-2 at home. ... Los Angeles notched
its first road victory. ... The teams meet three times in November,
starting with a Nov. 4 game in Phoenix.
