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 thrilling 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 roaring sellout crowd of 18,118.

The Kings, however, might have lost starting goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who left after one period after aggravating the left hip injury that cost him two games in the past week. Saturday was his first game back.

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

Sakic scored the game-tying goal at the 7:11 mark of the third period, giving him 28 in 49 career games against the Kings. 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.

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

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

Eric Belanger scored just 56 seconds into the game.

By then Brennan, who returned after missing nine games with a bruised left leg, and Cummins already were whistled off for five-minute fighting majors.

Belanger took a centering pass from Trent Klatt and beat rookie goaltender Phil Sauve.

But midway through the first period, Luc Robitaille was called 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 beat 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 Colorado.

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

He will be re-evaluated 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 Cummings got two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting, and another 10 minutes for more instigating. He finally was tossed from the game.

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Photo:

The Kings celebrate a goal in the first period of their 3-3 tie against the Avalanche on Saturday at Staples Center.

Edna T. Simpson/Staff Photographer