Ducks 1 - 2 Kings
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Ducks, Kings renew rivalry in LA

Nov 16, 2011 - 3:58 PM (Sports Network) - The Pacific Division rivalry between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks commences tonight in the opening portion of a home-and-home series from Staples Center.

The Ducks will then host Los Angeles on Thursday in the second of six matchups between the division foes. Anaheim won four of six meetings with the Kings a season ago and is riding a three-game winning streak in the series. It has won two straight and three of four visits to LA.

Los Angeles has won two of three games overall since a five-game losing streak and will close out a four-game homestand. In Saturday's 5-2 pounding of Minnesota, Alec Martinez, Dustin Brown, Simon Gagne and Matt Greene each scored during a four-goal second period and Colin Fraser also lit the lamp.

Jonathan Quick made 24 saves to halt a career high-tying six-game slide for the Kings, who improved to 5-4-1 at home this season and rebounded from a 3-2 loss versus Vancouver last Thursday. The Kings had 12 different players record a point in the win and are 6-0-0 when scoring three or more goals in a game.

"I really liked the focus coming into the game tonight," Kings bench boss Terry Murray said after his 1,000th game as a head coach. "The players came out right away with the kind of intensity and attitude of moving their feet, getting pucks going north and recovering pucks."

Murray's team is an impressive 63-0-3 in the previous 66 contests when leading after two periods. Quick is six games from 200 played in his career.

Anaheim has just two wins in its last 12 games since opening the 2011-12 campaign with a 4-1 record, and is coming off Sunday's 3-2 loss against the Wild in the finale of a three-game homestand.

Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller was pulled after giving up three goals on 15 shots in the first period, while Dan Ellis stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief. Cam Fowler scored a career-best two goals to snap a 16-game goal-scoring drought for Anaheim, which posted a 4-3 win over the Canucks on Friday.

"You have to find ways to win hockey games," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "Right now, we are finding a way to be one goal short all the time."

Ellis is 7-1-0 in eight career starts against the Kings. Hiller is only 0-3-0 in three career starts at Staples Center. Teemu Selanne owns 12 points in his last 11 games and is in the midst of his 20th NHL season -- 13 with Anaheim.

The Ducks, who are last in the Pacific standings with 15 points, have lost five in a row as the guest and are 2-4-3 on the road. They have posted a league-low 2.00 goals-per-game average in 17 games this season.

Los Angeles is right above the Ducks in the division with 19 points.






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