Carter nets pair to lift Kings past Ducks
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jeff Carter scored two power-play goals within 1 minute, 14 seconds in the second period to give the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night at the Honda Center.
Drew Doughty added a goal and an assist while goalie Peter Budaj stopped 28 shots for his 10th victory. With their third consecutive win, the Kings (10-9-1) move into a three-way tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Ducks (9-7-3) and the Edmonton Oilers.
But Los Angeles had to defuse a 6-on-4 power play in the final 1:53 after rookie defenseman Derek Forbort received a tripping penalty and the Ducks pulled goalie John Gibson.
Gibson finished with 26 saves for Anaheim, which got goals from Antoine Vermette and Rickard Rakell.
The Kings scored three goals in the second period to take control. Doughty scored his third of the season 2:15 into the period by dragging a shot that rose from the right point into the upper-left corner of the net.
The Ducks were outshot 9-0 in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the second period and did not register a shot on goal until 4:33 expired.
Carter followed with the first of his two power-play goals at 12:21, when he deflected Tanner Pearson's pass from the left circle inside the right post. Then 11 seconds after Anaheim's Kevin Bieksa received a holding penalty, Carter scored his team-leading ninth goal and his fourth in three games.
Doughty's slap shot from the right point deflected off Ducks defenseman Josh Manson before hitting Carter in the chest. But the puck fell to the blade of Carter's stick, and Carter converted inside the left post at 13:35.
Vermette ended Budaj's quest for a shutout by deflecting Hampus Lindholm's slapshot inside the left post for his fourth goal 3:34 into the final period. Rakell then narrowed the deficit to 3-2 by converting a wrist shot in the slot with three seconds left on a power play for his sixth goal at 8:36.
Before Rakell scored, Ryan Kesler appeared to get the Ducks' second goal at 6:49. Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf poked the puck from under Budaj's left leg pad toward the net. Doughty blocked the puck with his stick at the goal line before Kesler deflected it. But the play was whistled dead when Budaj smothered the puck with his leg pad.
The Ducks also had a chance to score the tying goal with 5:07 to play but Manson's slapshot hit the left post.
NOTES: Los Angeles scratched D Tom Gilbert and C Anze Kopitar, who missed his fifth consecutive game because of an injured wrist. ... The Kings need one win to reach 1,600 in franchise history. ... Kings coach Darryl Sutter needs 20 wins to surpass Andy Murray and become the team's all-time leader in coaching victories with 216. ... Anaheim scratched LW Joseph Cramarossa and D Clayton Stoner. ... Ducks LW Ryan Garbutt needs three games for 300 in his career. ... The Ducks recalled D Shea Theodore from San Diego (AHL) one day after RW Ondrej Kase from the same club.