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Koivu, Ducks edge Kings in SO

Apr 8, 2013 - 4:24 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Saku Koivu was credited with the game-winner in the second round of the shootout, as the Anaheim Ducks downed the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Sunday at Honda Center.

Bobby Ryan started the shootout with a successful backhander, and after Mike Richards came up empty at the other end, Koivu beat Jonathan Bernier with a slick backhand-forehand deke.

Jeff Carter kept the Kings alive when he roofed a backhander, but Corey Perry snuck a quick wrister past Bernier to send the Ducks to their third win in their last four games.

Matt Beleskey registered a goal and an assist, while Perry and Kyle Palmieri each scored once in regulation to help the Ducks extend their lead to nine points over the Kings atop the Pacific Division. Viktor Fasth posted 35 saves.

"Viktor played well," Perry said. "He's been doing it all year. Tonight he made some big saves for us and we got the win."

Dustin Brown recorded a goal and assist, while Drew Doughty and Carter also lit the lamp for the Kings, who occupy the fourth spot in the West.

Bernier made 19 saves in the setback, which snapped LA's two-game win streak.

Palmieri got the Ducks on the board just under three minutes into the game when he drove hard at the net and cut in front of Fasth. Palmieri lost control of the puck, but it appeared to hit a Los Angeles defenseman before trickling across the goal line for a 1-0 lead at the 2:54 mark.

LA answered just under six minutes into the second while on the power play when Doughty rifled a blast from the left point that snuck past Fasth to make it 1-1 at the 5:59 mark.

Perry put the Ducks back in front late in the second when he beat Bernier on a breakaway, but Carter countered just 1:18 later, as he made his way to the front of the net and pounded home a nice feed from Richards to knot the game.

Beleskey's rebound marker with the Ducks on the power play early in the third again put the home team in front, but the Kings responded with just under four minutes left when Anze Kopitar threw the disc in front from the low left side and Brown batted the puck into the back of the net from in close to knot the game at 3-3 with 3:40 left in the contest.

"We showed character," said Kopitar. "We battled back three times. We picked it up right after their first goal, but a shootout can go either way and tonight it went their way."

Neither team could break through in the extra session, as both goaltenders stood tall to force the shootout.

Game Notes

Anaheim improved to 15-5-0 at home, while Los Angeles fell to 8-10-2 on the road ... Anaheim has taken two of three from the Kings this season. The season series will end Saturday when the Kings host the Ducks at Staples Center ... Anaheim captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.