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Quick Nets 6th Shutout Of Season, Kings Win 1-0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jonathan Quick tied a career best with his NHL-leading sixth shutout, defenseman Drew Doughty scored during a goalmouth scramble 38 seconds into overtime and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 1-0 on Thursday night.

Quick made 22 saves in his 20th career shutout, his seventh by a 1-0 score. The previous one was against Dallas on Oct. 22 at Staples Center, when Jack Johnson got the only goal with 4:48 left in the third period — enabling Quick to become the first goalie in franchise history with three consecutive shutouts.

The Kings, who came in with a league-low 87 goals, were held to fewer than three in regulation for the 18th time in 20 games. Despite averaging 33 shots on net in their last 15 contests, they have averaged only 1.7 goals during that stretch and are 3 for 53 on the power play. But they still haven't lost in regulation (5-0-3) since Darryl Sutter replaced Terry Murray as coach.

Mike Smith made his second start after missing six games with a groin injury and stopped 27 shots for the Coyotes, who have lost six of seven and were shut out for the fifth time. They played their sixth straight game without injured centers Martin Hanzal and Boyd Gordon.

The sellout crowd of 18,118 groaned after Kings left wing Dustin Penner spun around in the right circle and took a 30-foot wrist shot that hit the left post with 5:47 left in regulation. A minute later, Smith robbed Dustin Brown at the doorstep after he stickhandled through the Coyotes' defense, and Smith came up big again to thwart Brad Richardson from in close with 3:41 left.

But in overtime, Doughty got the puck from Jarret Stoll, swerved around Daymond Langkow and threw the puck toward the crease, where it caromed in off Phoenix defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson's skate while Johnson was in the crease. Referee Frederick L'Ecuyer immediately ruled it a goal, and the replay office in Toronto confirmed that it was legal.

Phoenix defenseman Adrian Aucoin sat out the last two periods after he was struck in the right eye by the puck as Mike Richards flipped it out of the Kings' zone during the final minute of the first. Left wing Raffi Torres, who scored two goals against the Kings in a 4-3 loss at Staples Center on Dec. 26, finished serving a two-game suspension he received from the NHL after taking a run at Minnesota's Nate Prosser from behind last Saturday.

The Kings and Coyotes reached the midway point of their respective schedules, with each team getting only one power-play opportunity. Phoenix's penalty-killing unit has allowed one goal in 22 short-handed situations over its last nine games, after allowing at least one power-play goal in eight straight contests.

The Kings own the NHL's second-best penalty-killing percentage. They have killed off 28 consecutive power plays, and their opponents are 3 for 76 with the man advantage over the last 21 games.

Notes: The Phoenix-Winnipeg franchise is in its 32nd season and still hasn't won a division title. The Coyotes are fourth in the Pacific and trail first-place San Jose by four points. ... Phoenix coach Dave Tippett, who spent three seasons with the Kings as an assistant under Andy Murray, is three games away from his 700th as an NHL head coach in the regular season. His 383 wins are second-most among active coaches behind Mike Babcock's 398. ... Phoenix C Patrick O'Sullivan, who began his NHL career with the Kings in 2006-07, is playing for his fifth team in the last four seasons after signing with the Coyotes as a free agent in August. He has two goals and two assists in 22 games.

 

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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