KINGS SHINE BRIGHTER; ROBITAILLE, PALFFY STEAL JAGR SPOTLIGHT : KINGS 5, PITTSBURGH 3.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

In the shadow of Jaromir Jagr, Luc Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy showed there was more than one star in the Staples Center.

For most of Thursday night's 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Kings couldn't take their eyes off Jagr. The league's two-time scoring champion and reigning MVP dazzled the crowd of 14,779 with his moves and strength.

But in a two-minute, 34-second stretch midway through the third, Sean O'Donnell tied the game and Robitaille tipped in Palffy's rebound to supply the winner. Robitaille is tied with Montreal's Brian Savage for the NHL scoring lead with 10 goals.

Ten seconds later, Glen Murray added the Kings' fourth goal to effectively put the game out of reach.

Although Palffy had three consecutive 40-goal season with the New York Islanders, his first year with the Kings has been in more of a support role. His goal was just his fourth, but he does have 13 points to put him among the league leaders.

Robitaille's goal came on a 25-foot blast by Palffy after a pass from Murray that beat Penguins goalie Peter Skudra. O'Donnell's came after deking Pittsburgh defenseman Michal Rozsival to the ice then firing over the sprawling Skudra.

Although German Titov scored for Pittsburgh with 13 seconds left on an assist from Jagr, it was not enough. Bryan Smolinsky scored on a empty-netter to provide the final score with three seconds left.

The Kings were redeemed a night when they were the rested team and came out firing in the first period.

Just 42 seconds into the game, Jagr muscled past Kings goalie Stephane Fiset for his eighth goal in eight games.

But the goal he didn't score early in the second period that might have been the true measure of his greatness. When he raced with the puck to the left of Fiset, he took three Kings defenders with him.

Jagr simply slid the puck to a wide open John Slaney and that was that.

It made the Kings (7-3-2) wonder if this was the same team that lost in overtime the night before to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

It made them pause after winning two straight and looking at a three-game Midwest trip that begins Saturday in Chicago. Now, they've won three in a row. But it wasn't easy.

Jagr's presence was even more important when Pittsburgh goalie Jean Sebastien was forced to leave a groin injury late in the first period. The Penguins already are playing without veteran goaltender Tom Barrasso, who has an injured knee and were forced to use Peter Skudra.

The Kings had plenty of chances, but always were playing catchup. Another tribute to Jagr was he forced the Kings to play defenseman Rob Blake for a hefty 11:49 in the second period alone.

But they cut the Pittsburgh lead to 2-1 with 8:34 left in the second period on Donald Audette's fifth goal of the season.

On the play, Smolinski dug the puck out of the corner and passed in front to defenseman Garry Galley, who slipped to Audette on Skudra's right side.