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.

``We're getting ourselves back into it,'' said Murray, whose team improved to 3-0-1 in its last four games. ``We would like to have a real solid month of December. Last year we had a real good November that helped us, and now we need to have a good December.''

Granted, the opponent was a second-year expansion team that has scored the fewest goals in the Western Conference, 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.

Other good omens included the fact the Kings scored two power-play goals and one shorthanded goal - their first of the season - and that two of the goals were scored by Bryan Smolinski, who appears to be getting in a groove.

Smolinski has scored four goals in his last five games, after he totaled just four goals in his first 26 games.

``I had a lot of anxiety out there for a while,'' said Smolinski, who has dealt with a sore back for much of the season. ``I knew I wasn't a liability out there, but in my head I didn't know exactly what was going on. It's good to get some confidence back.''

With Ian Laperriere in the penalty box for four minutes on a double-minor high-sticking call early in the first period, Smolinski gave the Kings their first shorthanded goal 34 seconds into the penalty.

Aaron Miller took control of the puck deep in the Kings zone and passed to 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 the net.

The Blue Jackets tied the game 9:29 into the first period when Serge Aubin intercepted an attempted clearing pass and hit Ray Whitney, who skated in alone and beat Kings goalkeeper Felix Potvin with a high shot from the right faceoff circle.

Smolinski struck again exactly halfway through the second period on the power play. Jaroslav Modry took a slap shot from just inside the blue line, but Jason Allison, running interference in front of Tugnutt, deflected the puck to the right and right onto the stick of Smolinski, who one-timed it past the sprawling Tugnutt.

Adam Deadmarsh gave the Kings a 3-1 lead 2:41 into the third period on the power play, when Steve Heinze skated to the net and drew two Blue Jackets defenders toward him, then fed a nice pass to Deadmarsh, who came up the middle and beat Tugnutt with a wrist shot.

The goal was the 10th of the season for Deadmarsh, tying him with Heinze for the team lead.

``We don't have anybody with more than 10 goals, but we probably have more guys with six to 10 goals than anybody in the league,'' Murray said. ``We've talked about team scoring and everybody contributing and we've been getting some of that.''

Deadmarsh's goal became the game-winner because 68 seconds later, Columbus' Jody Shelley scored his first NHL goal when his shot from the right boards appeared to hit Potvin's right leg and trickle into the net.

Potvin made 18 saves and held tough in a flurry of Columbus shots in the final minute, when Tugnutt left the ice for an extra attacker.

``It wasn't a light night for us, that's for sure,'' Murray said.

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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