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Blue Jackets-Kings Preview

Oct 25, 2009 - 6:56 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Columbus (5-3-0) at Los Angeles (6-4-0), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Surprising starts aided by timely goals have helped make the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets early contenders in the Western Conference.

Both clubs will try to continue their solid play Sunday night when they meet for the second time in just over a week.

The Kings (7-4-0) finished last season tied with Phoenix at the bottom of the Pacific Division, failing to reach the playoffs for a sixth consecutive time, while the Blue Jackets (6-3-0) made their postseason debut only to be swept by eventual West finalist Detroit in the opening round.

This season, both clubs appear to making positive strides. Los Angeles holds a share of first with Dallas in the Pacific, while Columbus is one point behind Central-leading Chicago.

Lack of scoring last season was a key to the Kings' struggles as they had just 207 goals to rank third from the bottom in the NHL. Now, they're among the league leaders with 38 goals.

Los Angeles continued its scoring surge Saturday, when it had three third-period goals in a 5-3 victory over the Coyotes. Jarret Stoll scored his first two goals and Dustin Brown added two to give the Kings a three-game winning streak after they fell 4-1 at Columbus on Oct. 17.

The Kings have scored 14 goals in the last three games after managing five during a three-game slide.

"Very timely goals," Stoll said Saturday. "That was the story of the game."

The Kings have also had a strong power-play unit early this season, scoring a season high-tying three in seven chances Saturday. They've been held without a man-advantage goal in just two games this season, losing both.

"I really like the way our team adjusted in several different areas of our game," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "It was an attitude to want the puck, to want to make plays and to hold on to the puck. We started doing that more the middle of last season but started getting away from it a little bit."

The Blue Jackets are off to their best start in franchise history and looking to finish a four-game road trip at .500 after beating Anaheim 6-4 on Saturday. Fedor Tyutin's first goal of the season with 3:22 to play snapped a 4-4 tie.

"That's the difference about our team this year," said left wing Rick Nash, who had two goals and an assist. "A couple years ago, we'd get down a goal on the road and fold our cards. But now we don't let it discourage us. We stick with it."

Nash has been a big reason for the Jackets' early success with six goals and eight assists. However, he's been outstanding on the road with five goals and six assists while being held off the scoresheet only once.

A four-time All-Star, Nash netted a short-handed goal against in the last meeting with the Kings, giving him two goals and three assists in the last three matchups - all Columbus wins.

He has six goals and four assists in 11 career games at Staples Center, where the Blue Jackets have taken three of the last four after losing five straight.