Kings KO Bruins In OT
Luc Robitaille beat the Boston Bruins using one of their own defensemen.
Robitaille
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Next season the Kings will move from the 31-year-old Forum to the new Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. A sellout crowd of 16,005 saw the Kings hand Boston its first defeat in four games this season.
Robitaille skated up the left side, took a pass from Rob Blake and sent a slap shot past goalie Byron Dafoe.
"That's one of Luc's attributes. He's very good at using one of the defensemen as a screen," Kings coach Larry Robinson said.
Robitaille, a longtime fan favorite who returned to the Kings last season, skated out for a curtain call after the teams left the ice.
"I was really surprised Luc shot it," Dafoe said. "He put it right in the corner, right where it had to go. I didn't see the puck."
Rob DiMaio and the Bruins couldn't keep the Kings off the board in overtime. (AP) |
The Bruins had a power-play goal disallowed early in the second period that could have been the difference. A video review showed Chris Taylor's left skate was in the crease.
I'd rather not talk about this video stuff," Boston coach Pat Burns said. "I'm just going to get myself in trouble, so don't talk to me about it."
Los Angeles rookie Josh Green and Boston's Antti Laaksonen each scored their first NHL goals to force the five-minute overtime.
"I knew I could do it. It was just a matter of getting that first one," Green said. "I felt more confident out there as the game went on."
Green, the only rookie on the Kings' roster, scored on a first-period power play, ending 162 minutes and 19 seconds of shutout hockey by ex-King Dafoe.
Dafoe, who came in with two consecutive shutouts, hadn't given up a goal since Boston's season opener a week ago against St. Louis. He made 25 saves.
"We held them off pretty good. It's just unfortunate that Robitaille gets a break down the wing and puts it in the net," Dafoe said. "If we get one break, we win the hockey game. But they worked hard and kept coming at us."
Dafoe kicked out a shot by Doug Bodger, but Green knocked in the rebound at 10:50.
Laaksonen, a second-year player, tied the game at 16:29 of the second period with a goal through the legs of Stephane Fiset, who stopped 22 shots.
Both teams had good scoring chances in the third period before Robitaille ended the suspense. Steve Duchesne played goalie when Fiset was caught out of net with about two minutes remaining, making a stop on Sergei Samsonov. Dafoe twice deflected shots -- with his glove and his stick -- midway through the period.
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