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First-period burst allows Kings to cruise past Maple Leafs

Jan 11, 2008 - 7:22 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs have reached a new low.

Dustin Brown scored a pair of power-play goals and Alexander Frolov and defenseman Rob Blake each added a tally and an assist as the league-worst Los Angeles Kings rode an early surge to a 5-2 triumph over the struggling Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Kyle Calder also tallied and Jason LaBarbera made 48 saves - including 24 in the third period - for Los Angeles, which halted a three-game losing streak.

"It was a weird kind of game," LaBarbera said. "When we scored four and I only faced six shots in the first period, I thought, 'What's going on?' and then I wound up facing 50. I like that type of game, having that much work because it keeps you in the game."

Entering with a four-game road skid and three-game overall slide, Toronto was taken out of this contest after one period.

"We fell behind early, and it's hard to play catch-up," Maple Leafs center Matt Stajan said. "All of the 20 guys in here are feeling the pressure (of the losing streak). We have to start playing better and work hard for the entire 60 minutes."

After Calder opened the scoring at 2:44 of the first period, the Kings tallied three times in the final 6:08 of the session to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Brown was instrumental in the outburst, cashing in on two man advantages to increase his career-high - and team-leading - goals total to 22.

"The biggest difference in Dustin this season is his confidence," Kings coach Marc Crawford said. "He's willing to try different things on the ice, and it's paying off for him."

With Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle serving a holding penalty, Brown banged a rebound past goaltender Andrew Raycroft from the doorstep at 13:52 to give Los Angeles a 2-0 bulge. Frolov increased the margin to three 3:40 later, skating from behind the net to the slot before firing the puck between Raycroft's pads for his eighth of the campaign.

Brown completed his two-goal effort with 54 seconds left in the opening period, burying a loose puck in front on the Kings' second power play of the session.

"On the first one, it was just a matter of going to the net for the rebound," Brown said. "On the second one, I just stayed with the play and was in the right spot at the right time. I'm now on the first line and this is my fourth year in the league. I should be getting more opportunities given my experience."

Raycroft, who made just seven saves, was replaced at the start of the second session by Vesa Toskala.

"We win as a team and lose as a team," Raycroft said. "The entire effort was unacceptable, and being pulled is just part of the game. I don't think it has anything to do with being out west. It's about a solid 60 minutes of effort."

But Los Angeles victimized the Finnish netminder at 6:41, with Blake scoring on a slap shot from the right faceoff circle for a 5-0 cushion.

Toronto attempted to get back in the game as Nik Antropov netted a man-advantage tally late in the second and Darcy Tucker scored midway through the third. But it was too little, too late for the Maple Leafs, who have dropped 10 of their last 12 contests and remained in last place in the Northeast Division.

Brian Willsie recorded his 100th career point with an assist for Los Angeles, which improved to 2-3-0 on its six-game homestand.

Antropov got Toronto on the board with 4:52 remaining in the second period, deflecting defenseman Ian White's blast from the blue line past LaBarbera for his 16th tally. The native of Kazakhstan is two shy of his career high set last season.

Tucker reduced the deficit to 5-2 at 11:41 of the third, when his slap shot from just above the left circle beat a screened LaBarbera.