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Busy Jokinen leads Pens over Kings

Jan 31, 2014 - 6:53 AM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jussi Jokinen had a hand in all three of Pittsburgh's first-period goals and the Penguins notched a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at Staples Center.

Jokinen assisted on Evgeni Malkin's marker 57 seconds into the game, then picked up the primary helper on Chris Kunitz's power-play goal at 10:50 before potting a power-play tally of his own 57 seconds later to help the Penguins grab a two-goal lead.

"We had a really good first period getting that lead," Jokinen said. "They came back but then we got two big power play goals and after that we played a pretty good second and decent third."

Tanner Glass scored Pittsburgh's other goal in the second and Jeff Zatkoff stopped 30 shots for the Eastern Conference-leading Penguins, who have won four of their last five games.

Anze Kopitar registered LA's lone goal, while starting goaltender Jonathan Quick was chased after giving up three goals on seven shots in the first period.

Martin Jones made 14 saves in relief for the Kings, who have dropped seven of their last eight games.

Jokinen wasted little time finding the score sheet, as he recovered a blocked shot on the low left side before backhanding a no-look feed through the top of the crease to Malkin, who pounded the puck home for a 1-0 lead less than a minute in.

Kopitar brought the Kings even at 9:32 when he beat Zatkoff short-side with a heavy slapper from the left circle with LA on the power play, but Kunitz and Jokinen lit the lamp under a minute apart to put Pittsburgh back on top.

With Pittsburgh on a 5-on-3 after Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown went off for separate minors at 10:05, Kunitz one-timed a blast high over Quick from between the circles off a nice one-touch feed from Jokinen.

Just under a minute later, Jokinen rifled a wrister from the right circle that sailed past Quick's glove to make it 3-1 at 11:47.

"If you give any team a five-on-three they are going to create chances," Quick said. "They get one there, and then they get a two-on-one where they beat me over the shoulder."

Glass beat Jones with a backhander from the right circle 11:44 into the second and Zatkoff stopped 23 shots over the final 40 minutes to maintain Pittsburgh's cushion.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh leads the Eastern Conference with 78 points ... Pittsburgh went 2- for-3 on the power play, while Los Angeles went 1-for-4 ... Pittsburgh's Matt Niskanen notched two assists ... Sidney Crosby collected his league-leading 48th assist of the season for the Penguins ... Quick dropped to 1-5-1 in his last seven starts.