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Detroit rallies past LA in shootout

Jan 19, 2014 - 5:03 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Tomas Tatar capped a late Detroit comeback with the only goal of the shootout, lifting the Red Wings to an improbable 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings trailed 2-1 in the final minute of regulation, but drew even on a strange and controversial power-play tally from Niklas Kronwall, whose deflected shot bounced off the netting behind the Los Angeles goal and struck Kings netminder Jonathan Quick in the back before trickling in with 26.1 seconds to play.

Coming off back-to-back shutout losses to Anaheim and the New York Rangers, Detroit also received a goal and an assist from Henrik Zetterberg and a 30- save performance from Jimmy Howard to prevail.

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter both scored on the power play for the Kings, who had a two-game win streak halted, with Quick stopping 33 shots in defeat.

Los Angeles appeared headed towards a regulation win when Carter backhanded in a rebound of Drew Doughty's long drive with 2:15 remaining in the third period. Dwight King was sent off for closing the puck with his hand just 30 seconds later, however, setting the stage for Kronwall's unusual game-tying tally.

Jarret Stoll got a piece of the Detroit's defenseman's point shot, sending the puck up into the air before it clearly caromed off the mesh above the glass before coming down and striking an unsuspecting Quick between the shoulder blades.

"You get breaks against you a lot," Red Wings coach mike Babcock said. "We've had a number [of goals] called back against us this year. That was a break we got. If you work hard, over time you get breaks."

The goal was upheld following a video review, with the NHL releasing a statement afterward explaining that the play was not reviewable.

"Video of the play appears to show the puck hitting the protective mesh above the glass before deflecting off goaltender Jonathan Quick and into the Los Angeles net," the statement read. "While the Situation Room examined the video, this is not a reviewable play, therefore the referee's call on the ice stands."

Needless to say, Kings head coach Darryl Sutter was not pleased with the decision.

"That's embarrassing for the league," said Sutter. "It doesn't matter if we'd have scored, or if they had scored it. That's embarrassing."

Quick sent the contest to a shootout with five saves in overtime, but Tatar beat him stick-side with a hard wrister to begin the final phase. After both Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter were stoned on their tries, Howard gave the Red Wings the two points by turning away Richards in the third round.

After neither team scored during an evenly played opening period, Los Angeles capitalized on a cross-checking penalty to the Red Wings' Brendan Smith to move in front just past the midway mark of the second.

Using Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey as a screen, Richards snapped a 23-game goalless drought by firing a wrister from the right circle that landed over Howard's left shoulder.

The Red Wings needed just 41 seconds to respond, however. Gustav Nyquist placed a no-look backhand feed from the corner boards right on the stick of Zetterberg, who deposited it into the net to end Detroit's 152-minute, 21- second scoreless streak.

Game Notes

Richards' last goal came Nov. 25 at Vancouver ... The Kings, who dropped a 3-1 decision to Detroit in Los Angeles last Saturday, have lost in five straight visits to Joe Louis Arena since a 2-1 win on Mar. 9, 2011 ... Kronwall's goal snapped a 0-for-25 stretch on the power play for the Red Wings, while the Kings had killed off 22 consecutive penalties prior to the score ... Stoll was skating in his 400th game as a member of the Kings.