Blue Jackets Best Kings In Penalty-Ridden Game
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and an assist and the Columbus Blue Jackets overcame a shotless second period to hold off the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Thursday night for their fourth victory in six games under coach John Tortorella.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves to help the last-place Blue Jackets win their second straight game in California and hand the first-place Kings just their second loss in 10 games.
Cam Atkinson and Gregory Campbell also scored. Columbus had no shots in the second period, a first in franchise history.
Jonathan Quick stopped 22 shots and Alec Martinez scored a power-play goal for the Kings, who opened a five-game homestand with a clunker. Los Angeles' four-game home winning streak ended, as did its five-game winning streak against Columbus at Staples Center.
Jeff Carter scored with 59 seconds to play for the Kings while Quick was pulled for an extra attacker, but Los Angeles couldn't get the equalizer.
The teams stoked their long-simmering mutual distaste with several fights and skirmishes throughout the night at the sold-out Staples Center. Quick even went after Scott Hartnell when the Columbus forward hacked at his glove with the puck underneath it, setting off a fracas.
After Atkinson opened the scoring, Martinez evened it with a short-range shot on a power play. Dubinsky pushed Columbus back ahead when Nick Foligno's shot deflected off his shin in front of Quick late in the first period.
Columbus led 2-1 heading into the third despite the shotless second. Los Angeles didn't allow a shot in a period for just the second time in a regular-season game and just the third time overall in the franchise's 3,890 games.
The Blue Jackets reclaimed the momentum in the third before Campbell got his first goal of the season with a wrist shot on the rush with 9:08 left.
NOTES: Kings C Anze Kopitar played after leaving their last game at St. Louis early following a hit to the head from Ryan Reaves, who was fined. ... The Kings held St. Louis without a shot in a period on April 5, 1978. They also held the Anaheim Ducks without a shot during a period in a playoff game May 10, 2014. ... Los Angeles acquired Carter and Marian Gaborik from Columbus in midseason trades during recent Stanley Cup championship years. Carter moved in 2011-12, and Gaborik in 2013-14.
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