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Powerful Kings Lose to Dallas in a Shootout, Kopitar Injured
The Kings lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Dallas Stars.
After being down 2-0 in the first period to the Dallas Stars, the Kings buoyed by three power-play goals had taken a 4-3 lead midway through the third period. Yes, you read that correctly: three power-play goals for the first time since March 8, 2010 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
But then there was this hit.
With Anze Kopitar splayed out on the ice apparently knocked out cold, Mike Richards stuck up for his teammate. Unfortunately since he still had his visor on it called for an instigating penalty. Richards also received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a game misconduct, and boom just like that the tide had turned. The Kings lost their two best centers, one of them their best penalty-killing forward in Richards, and had to fend off a four-minute double-minor.
It proved to be too much as Loui Eriksson got the game tying goal as the Stars spent several minutes in the Kings' zone exhausting the penalty-killers. Eriksson also had the lone goal in the shootout.
Kings' general manager Dean Lombardi said the hit on Kopitar looked worse than it actually was and head coach Darryl Sutter said, "He told me he’s fine, so we’ll see what that means.”
It could be worse. I could have been up in Calgary watching the Flames beat the Ducks 1-0 in overtime. After two periods the Ducks had an 11-6 shots-on-goal advantage. Cue the crickets. Of course the big news was the Flames trading Rene Borque to Montreal for former King Michael Cammalleri and Karri Ramo.
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In local college basketball scene, Long Beach State routed UC Davis 86-58, Pacific upended Cal State Northridge 79-59, Cal Poly beat UC Irvine 66-50 and LMU outlasted Pepperdine 68-58.
TONIGHT’S ACTION
Cleveland Cavaliers at LA Lakers. 7:30 p.m. FSWest, AM 710 KSPN.
Anaheim Ducks at Edmonton Oilers. 6:30 p.m. FS Prime Ticket, AM 830 KLAA.
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