[0] KINGS FINALLY START TO PICK UP STEAM L.A. EXTENDS UNBEATEN STREAK TO 4 GAMES KINGS 3, COLUMBUS 2.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Kings coach Andy Murray refrains from using the word momentum when discussing his team's recent strong play, mostly because he wants his players to maintain an even keel through good times and bad.

But there's no denying that the Kings are on to something good these days, as they extended their unbeaten streak to four games Saturday night with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in front of 16,224 at Staples Center.

Granted, the opponent was a second-year expansion team that had scored the fewest goals in the Western Conference entering the game, but it might be a sign of a resurgence that the Kings are finally starting to beat the teams that supposedly have less talent than they do.

Bryan Smolinski scored two goals and Felix Potvin made 18 saves as the Kings improved to 3-0-1 in their last four games.

After a brilliant first period Thursday in which they scored three times, the Kings slumbered through much of the first period against the Blue Jackets. They had just five shots but did score their first shorthanded goal of the season, an important goal since the Blue Jackets had won just 2 of 16 games in which their opponent scored first.

Ian Laperriere was called for a double-minor high-sticking penalty (against Columbus' Espen Knutsen) 5:19 into the game, but the Kings struck 34 seconds into the penalty.

Aaron Miller took control of the puck deep in the Kings zone and passed to Bryan Smolinski near center ice. Smolinski, on a two-on-one break with Craig Johnson, shot into goalkeeper Ron Tugnutt's pads, but Johnson deflected the puck back toward Smolinski, who scored from a tough angle to the right of Tugnutt.

The Kings killed the four-minute penalty without much of a challenge, and nearly had another scoring chance when they tried to hit Laperriere, coming out of the penalty box, with a pass. But it was intercepted at center by Serge Aubin, and he fed a quick pass to Ray Whitney just behind the blue line.

With the Kings going for a line change and just one defender back, Whitney skated in and beat Potvin with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle 9:29 into the period.

The Kings were held without a shot on a power play late in the period, and that lack of offense carried over into the second period, as the Kings went the first four minutes without a shot on goal.

Laperriere went off for five minutes for fighting Jamie Pushor, perhaps in an attempt to liven up his teammates, but the Kings didn't awaken until Columbus defenseman Mattias Timander took down Jason Allison behind the net and went off for holding 9:31 into the period.

The Kings controlled the puck off the faceoff and Jaroslav Modry fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line. Allison, running interference in front of the net, got his stick on the puck, and it bounced to the open Smolinski, stationed just to the right of the net.

Smolinski one-timed the puck past the lunging Tugnutt for a 2-1 lead 10 minutes into the second period.

Timander drew a double-minor high-sticking penalty when he took down Adam Deadmarsh with 1:17 remaining in the period, and the Kings waited until all but two seconds of the four-minute penalty expired to strike.

Steve Heinze picked up a loose puck in the corner and skated to the side of the net, drawing two Blue Jackets to defend him. Heinze then fed a nice pass to Deadmarsh, who skated in alone and one-timed the puck past Tugnutt.

That goal became the game-winner, because Columbus answered 68 seconds later, when a seemingly harmless shot by Jody Shelley from near the right boards deflected off Potvin's leg between his pads and into the net.

Tugnutt made 22 saves for the Blue Jackets, who forced Potvin to make several tough saves in the third period.

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Photo:

Kings defenseman Andreas Lilja, left, battles Columbus' Grant Marshall for a loose puck Saturday at Staples Center.

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press