KINGS, AVS FIGHT TO BE TIED AMID THE BOOS FISTS FLY; CECHMANEK REINJURES HIP KINGS 3, COLORADO 3.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Staples Center seemed more like the old Olympic Auditorium on Saturday night with plenty of booing and fighting and a wild main event.

Longtime Kings killer Joe Sakic scored three goals for the Colorado Avalanche but the game ended in a 3-3 tie in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 18,118.

Unlike the 4-4 tie against Phoenix on Thursday, when they blew a three- goal lead, the Kings faced one of the NHL's elite clubs and looked like a first-place team.

``It was an exciting game to play in and probably an exciting game for the fans,'' said Eric Belanger, who scored the Kings' first goal less than a minute into the game. ``That is a big point for us.''

The Kings, however, might have lost starting goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who left before the second period after aggravating the left-hip injury that cost him three games in the past eight days. Saturday was his first game back.

Cristobal Huet, who shut out the Avs in Colorado on Nov. 22, played the rest of the game and faced just 13 shots. Cechmanek, who allowed two goals on just six shots in the first period, will be re-evaluated today.

Sakic, who scored the game-tying goal at 7:11 of the third period, now has 28 in 49 career games against the Kings. He has 13 career hat tricks.

But most of the time the action was more focused on boos aimed at former Kings captain Rob Blake and a series of fights between enforcers Kip Brennan and Jim Cummins.

``I thought there was a lot of passion and energy tonight,'' Kings coach Andy Murray said. ``Much different from the previous game.''

With their second consecutive tie, the Kings (16-11-3-3) remained atop the Pacific Division. Colorado (16-9-6-1) entered the game third in the Northwest Division but just three points behind Vancouver, which hosts the Kings on Monday night.

The Avs have been playing the past month without reigning league MVP Peter Forsberg (groin) and former Mighty Ducks star Paul Kariya (wrist). Forsberg made the trip but was not ready to play.

``With those guys out we've needed someone to step up,'' Avs coach and former King Tony Granato said. ``Tonight, like so many nights, that guy was our captain Joe Sakic.''

The Avs were coming off a 1-0 loss Friday night to the Ducks and the Kings tried to take advantage. They outshot Colorado 37-19, including 3-0 in overtime.

Even though Belanger scored in the game's first minute, it was not the game's first action. Brennan, who returned after missing nine games with a bruised left leg, and Cummins already were whistled off for five-minute fighting majors.

On the goal, Belanger took a centering pass from Trent Klatt and beat rookie goaltender Phil Sauve.

But midway through the first period, Luc Robitaille was called in the Avs zone for a four-minute double minor for interference and slashing at 10:45.

And Colorado went to work. Sakic took a pass from Milan Hejduk from behind the net and easily beat Cechmanek at 11:35.

Just 41 seconds later, Sakic took a pass from Blake in the high slot and again foiled Cechmanek.

But the Kings tied it at 14:31, when Joe Corvo scored on a blast from the point. Corvo has emerged in the past few games, scoring twice and adding two assists.

He clearly has the hardest shot on the club, reminiscent of Blake, who has been soundly booed here since a contract dispute in February 2001 led to his trade to the Avs.

Corvo also received more playing time Saturday after top power-play defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky was sidelined with dizziness after the morning workout.

He will be revaluated today before the Kings leave for Vancouver.

There was no more scoring in the second but there was plenty of action. Brennan and Cummins fought at the 5:25 mark and both were sent off for fighting.

At 15:40, the two went at it again. This time Brennan received a fighting major, but Cummins got two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting, and then another 10 minutes for more instigating. He finally was tossed from the game.

Matt McHale, [phone]

matt.mchale(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Jozef Stumpel, left, Mattias Norstrom, middle, and Joe Corvo celebrate Corvo's goal in the first period Saturday.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News