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Kings edge Sharks to end five-game losing streak

Nov 25, 2007 - 7:08 AM By Michael Duca PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) - The San Jose Sharks won't be sending those who make the schedules Christmas cards this year.

After a full week off which included Thanksgiving, the Sharks laid a turkey-sized egg at home, as the Los Angeles Kings used goals by Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar to defeat the Sharks, 2-1, on Saturday night.

"I guess it's the mental part when you don't play for a week," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "But still, no excuses."

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Kings and was just the their third win of the season on the road - two of which have come in San Jose.

Goaltender Jason LaBarbera recorded 26 saves for his fifth victory of the season.

"You can't get too excited about one win," LaBarbera said. "You just have to build off it. We had to start somewhere, but you can't get satisfied with a win."

Los Angeles opened the scoring with 9:29 remaining in the first period when former Shark defenseman Tom Preissing blasted a slap shot from above the left circle. The shot was redirected by Brown and beat goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

"I got into the zone, we kept control of it, and I got myself in front of the net," Brown said. "It got to Tommy and he one-timed it. It hit the defenseman's stick and my stick both and got through."

The Kings extended their lead late in the first period after Sharks defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh was whistled for tripping.

Los Angeles caught three San Jose penalty killers behind the goal line as Brown stole the puck and fed defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who snapped it to Kopitar in the left circle.

Kopitar blasted a hard shot over Nabokov's left blocker into the corner of the net at 19:26 of the period for his ninth tally of the season. Kopitar now has 10 points in 11 career games against San Jose.

"We were moving the puck well and felt confident," Kopitar said. "Lubo passed it across, and I managed to get it over Nabokov's shoulder."

The power-play goal snapped an 0-for-20 streak with a man-advantage for the Kings.

"I think any time you can (break that streak), first of all, it relaxes everyone and that seems to open things up," Kings coach Marc Crawford said.

Ladislav Nagy had a chance to extend the lead on a penalty shot at 11:58 of the second period, but Nabokov made the save.

The Sharks halved the deficit midway through the third period when Joe Pavelski won a faceoff in the right circle, directing the puck to Milan Michalek, who one-timed a shot past LaBarbera's glove side.

The goal ended LaBarbera's bid for his second shutout of the season.

"I thought we played our best defensive game of the year, as a team," Crawford said. "Michal Handzus was terrific tonight against Joe Thornton."

Los Angeles is now 3-5-1 in its string of 11 straight November games against Pacific Division opponents.

San Jose, meanwhile, is 6-3-2 with one more game - against the Kings - left in its run of 12 straight in the division.