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Kulemin, Leafs edge Kings in LA

Jan 11, 2011 - 7:35 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Nikolai Kulemin scored the game-winner early in the third to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Darryl Boyce and Phil Kessel each had a goal for the Maple Leafs, who have won the first two games of a four-game road trip and four of their last five overall. James Reimer stopped 29-of-31 shots in the win.

"[Reimer] was outstanding all night," Leafs head coach Ron Wilson said. "Every time we needed a whistle, he's cool and calm, doesn't give up very many rebounds...He did a great job."

Wayne Simmonds and Michal Handzus each lit the lamp for the Kings, who fell to 1-5-0 on an eight-game homestand. Jonathan Quick made 25 stops in the loss.

The Kings got the only goal of the first period with 4:42 left in the frame. Off a left circle faceoff, Rob Scuderi sent a pass from the point to the low side for Simmonds, who skated to the front and strong-armed it home.

Toronto surged ahead in the second with two goals in a 34-second span.

The first came from Boyce at the 2:27 mark when he skated into the zone and drew the puck back at the left circle before snapping a wrister through the legs of the defender and into the right corner of the net.

Moments later, Joey Crabb skated behind the net from the left side, keeping the defender off of him, and from the right side threw the puck across the net to Kessel for a one-timer and a 2-1 lead.

The Kings tied the game with 5:07 to play in the second as a pass from Alec Martinez at the left point hit off the skate of Handzus and trickled through the pads of Reimer.

Toronto took the lead just under five minutes into the third as Kulemin's turnaround shot from the left side snuck past Quick.

A penalty to Dion Phaneuf with 1:42 to play coupled with Quick being pulled saw Los Angeles have a 6-on-4 advantage, but the team was unable to capitalize.

"We played desperate the last nine minutes of the game trying to get back in it, but it's hard to. We've got to play a full 60 [minutes], and like I said, we started good and then we get away from things that make us successful," Kings forward Dustin Brown said.

Game Notes

Los Angeles had won three of four against Toronto coming into the game. This was the only meeting between these clubs this season...The Maple Leafs play in San Jose on Tuesday...Los Angeles hosts St. Louis on Thursday...Toronto was 0- for-1 on the power play while Los Angeles was 0-for-3.