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Seeking offense: Kings hope to end scoring woes vs. Ducks

Feb 2, 2013 - 3:23 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings had no issues with their defensive effort last time out. It was the offense that needs to find some improvement.

The Kings, though, still take a four-game point streak on the road with them Saturday night as they visit the Pacific Division-rival Anaheim Ducks.

Los Angeles has gone 2-0-2 in its past four games following two regulation defeats to begin its Stanley Cup defense. Both losses, though, were by a 2-1 score and the Kings have been held to two goals or fewer in all four of their setbacks this season.

Seeking a third straight win, the Kings instead lost a shootout to Nashville on Thursday despite holding the Predators to just 14 shots in the game, 11 through regulation.

After the teams combined for just two goals through overtime -- both in the first period -- they exploded for seven in the shootout. However, Los Angeles' Simon Gagne was stopped in the eighth round and Sergei Kostitsyn followed by snapping a shot by Jonathan Quick.

Dustin Brown scored Los Angeles' regulation goal and Quick settled down after allowing a goal 58 seconds into the game with 13 saves.

"Every point's important," said Brown. "You can look at it two ways; we got one point and obviously you want to get that second one in a shootout, but I think if we limit our chances against, like we did tonight, it's a good thing for us. We've just got to build on that and find the dirty areas on the offensive side of the game."

The Kings are set to play their next five on the road and eight of their next nine will be played outside of Los Angeles. The first stop is against a Ducks team that the Kings beat in five of the six meetings last season, with two of those victories coming in a shootout.

The Ducks also carry a points streak into this meeting, having gone 2-0-1 in their last three. They were in action on Friday night, handing the Minnesota Wild a 3-1 road defeat.

Kyle Palmieri had two goals on his 22nd birthday, including the go-ahead tally early in the third. Bobby Ryan assisted on both goals and notched an insurance tally on the power play with 1:34 to play.

Linemate Teemu Selanne assisted on all three goals as well to help Palmieri celebrate his birthday in style.

"I was excited to play with Bobby and Teemu," Palmieri said. "We were fortunate to get some scoring opportunities. This is the first time I've scored two goals on my birthday."

Rookie goaltender Viktor Fasth made his second career start and stopped 26 shots to earn the victory, which improved Anaheim to 4-1-1 on the season.

"The guys played really good in front of me," Fasth remarked. "We played with discipline tonight. That's what won the game for us."