[0] DUCKS HOLD OFF KINGS POWER-POOR HOME TEAM LOSES THIRD IN ROW DUCKS 5, KINGS 2.

Byline: Greg Christensen Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES - The pressure has been on the Mighty Ducks for several months - ever since since their January swoon dropped them out of a playoff spot.

Now it's the Ducks turn to apply a little pressure of their own. Tuesday night they defeated the Kings 5-2 before 17,494 at Staples Center to move into a tie with San Jose for eighth place in the Western Conference.

The Sharks have the advantage of having played one less game, but the Ducks (31-31-12-2) certainly aren't worried about that just yet, especially with yet another big game facing them tonight in Edmonton.

The victory was the Ducks' third in a row and it marks only the second time this season that Anaheim has won more than two consecutive games. The Ducks also extended their unbeaten streak to four games.

It was the third consecutive loss for the Kings, who twice pulled within a goal but couldn't get an equalizer past Guy Hebert.

Kings coach Andy Murray had made no secret of the fact he hasn't been happy with his team's play, especially since Ziggy Palffy suffered a shoulder injury last Wednesday in a 2-2 tie versus the Ducks at The Pond.

With a chance to increase their lead on sixth-place Phoenix, the Kings appeared eager to please their coach, especially when it came to physical play. They outhit the Ducks 35-17 in the first two periods but went into the third trailing 2-1.

The Ducks, knowing exactly what was at stake, jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Ted Donato and Antti Aalto, and then as usual tried to hold on.

First, Kip Miller's goal at 8:06 looked like it might give the Ducks all the breathing room they needed with a 3-1 lead. But Nelson Emerson's first goal as a King, at 11:27 tightened things up again until Ladislav Kohn put the Kings away with a rebound goal at 12:41.

Paul Kariya added his 37th goal at 15:07 as Anaheim improved to 8-1-2 in its last 11 games versus the Kings.

Earlier in the season the Ducks couldn't buy a goal on the power play, but Tuesday night was a good example that it's better to be lucky than good sometimes.

Anaheim generated no pressure and no shots on their first power play of the night, and the Ducks were going nowhere fast on their second before Ted Donato banked one in off Sean O'Donnell's skate at 7:55 of the opening period.

After being unable to get the power play set up in the Los Angeles zone, Donato finally got the puck down low and decided to throw it out front. It proved to be a wise decision as the pass hit the unsuspecting O'Donnell and deflected through Jamie Storr's legs. Donato's 11th goal of the season was Anaheim's 30th power play tally in the last 24 games, a stretch during which the Ducks have moved from the bottom of the league standings to 16th.

The Kings, meanwhile, are in the midst of a 1-for-35 slump on the power and have fallen to 15th.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Ducks' Ed Ward, left, flips the Kings' Ian Laperriere to the ice.

(2) The Ducks' Fredrik Olausson, left, and the Kings' Ian Laperriere battle near the boards in the first period at Staples.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

Box: HEAD TO HEAD

Kings 34-30-9 vs. Ducks 31-31-12 / THE HISTORY