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Brown, Ersberg help Kings down surging Capitals

Nov 21, 2008 - 7:20 AM By John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After losing two consecutive games, Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray decided on a line change. Apparently, it worked.

Captain Dustin Brown scored a power-play goal and added an assist and Erik Ersberg made 19 saves as the Kings claimed a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday.

Patrick O'Sullivan, who was moved to the first line alongside Brown and Anze Kopitar, also tallied and rookie defenseman Drew Doughty opened the scoring with his third goal.

"It is definitely a different look with Sully," Brown said. "He brings a lot of speed and he can really shoot the puck. He is also a really good passer. He can really get up the ice and make plays happen. He's a good player, and it obviously worked tonight."

Murray was very happy with the play of the new line combination.

"They played against a (Nicklas) Backstrom line, and their responsibility tonight was to go in with a checking mind set and to make sure to try and limit the opportunities that a guy like (Alex) Ovechkin is going to get, and we did that tonight," Murray said.

Ersberg, who was making his seventh consecutive start after beginning the campaign as Los Angeles' backup goaltender, made 11 of his saves in the third period as the Capitals were dealt their first regulation loss since November 1.

"They have a great team, one of the top teams in the East," Ersberg said. "Especially after two losses, it feels great to bounce back against a team like them. It was a huge game for us. You are going to lose two games in a row in a season, but you don't want to lose three."

Washington posted a 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday but looked weary in the first period of this one, registering just three shots on goal despite having two power plays.

"You can surmise the reason we lost any way you want to," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I think they were more emotionally into the game. I don't think you can do what we did and win. When you can't get a shot (at) even strength, you aren't working hard enough."

Doughty scored the first goal of the game with 6:02 remaining in the opening period, when he received a cross-ice pass from Brown and fired a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. The puck inadvertently was tipped by Washington superstar Ovechkin over the glove of netminder Brent Johnson, who made 28 saves.

"It was pretty much all Brownie," Doughty said. "He did all the work and then found me, and I just tried to get the puck to the net as quick as I could. I got a lucky deflection, and it was great to get the team going."

The Kings' luck at killing power plays ended in the second period. Less than a minute after enforcer Raitis Ivanans and rookie Oscar Moller were whistled for penalties at 3:54 of the session, the Capitals evened the contest as Backstrom received a pass from Viktor Kozlov and stuffed the puck into the net while standing at the right goalpost.

Los Angeles regained the lead with 95 seconds remaining in the period, when O'Sullivan became the beneficiary of a rare mistake by Ovechkin.

The reigning Hart Trophy winner, Ovechkin was lining up a shot in the offensive zone when the puck hopped over his stick. Defenseman Matt Greene grabbed the loose puck and dished it to a streaking O'Sullivan, whose wrist shot from the right circle went between the legs of Johnson for a 2-1 edge.

"They moved faster than us," Ovechkin said. "They shoot everything. We didn't create our chances at the net. The first period was everything. Second period, we played good, but then they scored the second goal. There was a lot of snow and the puck was bouncing."

The Kings seemingly sealed the win when Brown tallied with 6:06 left in the third, cashing in on a power-play chance after Ovechkin was called for interference. Blue-liner Kyle Quincey picked up the puck in the defensive end and carried it down the right wing before putting a pass onto the stick of Brown, who tapped it past Johnson from the doorstep.

"(Brown) didn't see me. I just went to the net and he turned around and we hit," Ovechkin said of his penalty. "I didn't want to hit him, I just wanted to go to the net."

Brook Laich tallied with 4:34 remaining to pull the Capitals within one, but Kopitar and Michal Handzus, who also notched an assist, scored empty-net goals in the final minute to clinch the victory.