Kings 4 - 2 Blues
Final
  for this game

Kings down Blues

Mar 29, 2013 - 4:57 AM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Mike Richards scored the game-winner late in the third period to help the Los Angeles Kings take a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

Justin Williams, Trevor Lewis and Dustin Brown also scored the Kings, who have won their past two. Jonathan Quick posted 20 saves in the win.

"Every game now is a playoff game," said Lewis. "Getting ready for the playoffs and they're all going to be tough. Points are so crucial now. Everyone's looking for points and tonight had a playoff feel."

Vladimir Tarasenko scored both goals for the Blues, who have dropped three straight and four of five. Jaroslav Halak gave up three goals on 39 shots in the loss.

"This was not good because the team lost," said Tarasenko. "It doesn't matter how many goals you score and how many points you make. Its all about the win."

The Blues had tied the game at 2-2 6:44 into the third when a left point shot by Alex Pietrangelo trickled behind Quick and Tarasenko lifted the stick of a defender who was trying to clear the puck before slamming it home.

Los Angeles, though, took the lead with 2:43 to play as Jeff Carter sent the puck out front to Richards, who kept jamming away at it before getting the puck in.

"You just look at the puck and poke, poke, poke," said Richards. "You're expecting to get hit. You just hope to put it in before you get buried in the back of the net."

The goal was reviewed as Carter had lifted the back of the net as the puck was going into the net, but the score was allowed to stand after a brief delay.

Williams sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:16 to play.

The first period passed without a goal, but the Kings took a 1-0 lead 4:42 into the second period as Rob Scuderi's blast from the left point was stopped, but Brown was at the left side to slam in the rebound.

St. Louis tied the game on the power play with 9:05 to play in the middle period as Tarasenko received a pass in the slot and his first shot was blocked by a defender, but he grabbed the puck again and snapped it in.

Los Angeles, though, scored less than two minutes later when Lewis snuck the puck in from the right side for his fifth of the year.

Game Notes

Los Angeles continues its five-game road trip in Minnesota on Saturday ... St. Louis plays in Minnesota on Monday ... The Kings won all three games against the Blues this season, and have taken six of the last seven the past two seasons ... St. Louis went 1-for-3 on the power play while LA was 0-for-4.






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