KINGS GET BETTER; L.A. LOSES, BUT ISN'T EMBARRASSED THIS TIME : SAN JOSE 2, KINGS 1.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

The Kings came back to life Wednesday night.

After allowing 23 goals in three consecutive meltdowns, the Kings were respectable in a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, who were coming off three consecutive losses of their own.

Part of it was the return of center Jozef Stumpel, who had missed almost six weeks after abdominal surgery. Stumpel gave the Kings the defense they have been lacking in 7-1, 8-3 and 8-4 loss that dropped them into last place in the Pacific Division.

But the Kings had no answer for the league's leading goal scorer Owen Nolan, who got his 26th midway through the second period to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead. San Jose came in 0-2 against the Kings this season.

Before Stumpel left the lineup, the Kings were 9-3-3 and among the top teams in the Western Conference. Stumpel is the final member of the Kings top line to return from injuries this season. Luc Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy also have spent time on injured reserve, but on their first night together they were held without a point.

The Pacific Division, which would qualify all five teams if the playoffs started today, has been in a bit of a tailspin.

The Phoenix Coyotes, who play the Kings on Sunday at the Staples Center, had dropped five of six before routing the Mighty Ducks on Wednesday in Anaheim.

The Kings knew keeping the game close in the first period would be critical to overcoming their slump. They had been outscored 13-1 in the opening 20 minutes the past week.

Although the Sharks scored the first goal on a wrist shot by Vincent Damphousse with 9 minutes, 42 seconds left in the first, the Kings had shown enough grit to start rebuilding their confidence.

They killed off two penalties, got their forwards to play defense and even got a couple of shots in a short-handed situation midway through the period.

``We knew if we didn't come out of this game with win, if we played well that would be a start,'' coach Andy Murray said. ``We've had some good practices and way too many meetings. But until we got out there, we wouldn't know where we stood.''

It wasn't all great. On the Sharks' first goal, defensemen Aki Berg and Frantisek Kaberle collided in front of the net, giving Damphousse an open look. He fired a 15-footer over Fiset's right shoulder.

But as they had done early in the season, the Kings sent a message late in the period when Smolinski rebounded a blast by Glen Murray with 1:03 remaining.

The Kings caught a break at the other end when the Sharks were pressuring Fiset. Stephane Matteau took a shot from a bad angle that struck Smolinski's skate and shot out to center ice.

Murray picked up the puck, crossed the San Jose blue line and let go a slap shot. Steve Shields made the first stop, but Smolinski was trailing the play and fired in the rebound.

It was the ninth goal of the season for Smolinski, who is among the league leaders with 33 points in 34 games.

The Kings survived the first period, but did not carry the momentum into the second period.

Nolan, who leads the league in goals and power play goals, got his 12th of the year and 26 overall with 8:51 gone in the period. He took a pretty cross-ice pass from Damphousse and beat Fiset with a 15-foot slap shot low to the stick side that gave San Jose a 2-1 lead.

In his last 11 games, Nolan, who still trails Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr in the scoring race, has at least one point against every team except the expansion Atlanta Thrashers.

San Jose had a chance for more with 3:10 left in the second when Mike Ricci lift the puck over the right shoulder of Fiset. It bounced off Fiset and hung in the air until Niklas Sundstrom took a whack in front of the next.

The puck dropped on the goal line, but never crossed. The fans went wild, but referee Rob Shick ruled no goal. After a lengthy review, the call stood.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color) Kings goalie Stephane Fiset knocks away the puck in a 2-1 loss to the Sharks Wednesday night.

(2) The Kings' Mattias Norstrom and Sharks center Mike Ricci fight for the puck.

Paul Sakuma/Associated Press