SOPEL HAPPY, AND SO ARE KINGS DEFENSEMAN'S GOAL HELPS L.A. DEFEAT NEW YORK KINGS 4, N.Y. ISLANDERS 2.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  Staff Writer

After a self-described ``miserable'' year in New York, things are downright sunny for Brent Sopel.

Now totally healthy after a season of knee problems, and free from the poorly managed disaster of a franchise that is the New York Islanders, Sopel is thriving in Los Angeles this season.

Sopel scored a meaningful goal, both personally and for the Kings, Tuesday night as his second-period power-play goal made the difference in a 4-2 victory over the Islanders in front of 14,394 at Staples Center.

``Last year was miserable,'' Sopel said. ``It wasn't just the team. It wasn't a good fit. There were a lot of things wrong and I was glad to get out of there and come to an organization like L.A.

``It was good, not just for me but for us to get the two points at home.''

The Kings outshot the Islanders 40-25 but had to survive a third-period push, including a shot by Jason Blake that rang off the crossbar and goalpost with two minutes left. Alexander Frolov knocked in a rebound on the power play with 16.9 seconds left for the final two-goal margin.

But Sopel's goal, with 5.3 seconds left in the second period, held up, and he didn't hide his satisfaction. Sopel came to the Kings in a trade-deadline deal last season but made little impact, largely because he played through significant knee pain. Sopel has two goals in three games this year.

``If you look at our team,'' coach Marc Crawford said, ``and look at who is our best offensive defenseman, you'd probably say (Lubomir) Visnovsky or (Rob) Blake, but (Sopel is) right there.''

Tom Kostopoulos, out of the lineup for the first two games, scored a first-period goal, as did Michael Cammalleri. So far the Kings, expected to struggle offensively this season, have generated chances.

One reason for concern early Tuesday was the play of goaltender Dan Cloutier, whom the Kings traded for in the summer and signed to a two-year, $6.2-million contract extension last month.

Cloutier allowed four goals in a season-opening loss, watched backup Mathieu Garon turn in a solid effort two days later then came back with a rocky first period against the Islanders.

The Islanders put only seven shots on goal in the first period, but two found the net. First, Cloutier failed to adequately cover the near post on a wrist shot by Richard Park for a 1-0 Islanders lead, then, with 38 seconds left, Alexei Yashin ripped a slap shot that hit Cloutier square but then trickled into net.

Goals by Cammalleri and Kostopoulos kept the game tied after one period, but after the second New York goal, a handful of fans in the upper deck started a brief ``Gar-on, Gar-on'' chant.

Cloutier settled down in the second period and stopped all eight shots while Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who signed a 15-year, $67.5-million contract last month, didn't fare quite as well.

The Kings failed on their three power-play chances in the second period, but as the clock ticked down, Sopel took a pass from Oleg Tverdovsky and fired a one-time slap shot past DiPietro.

It was also an interesting night for Sean Avery, who drew a penalty in the second period when Brendan Witt first smacked Avery in the face then cross-checked him in the back after he fell to the ice.

Avery later gave a power play back to New York with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, his second of the year.

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Photo:

The Kings' Tom Kostopoulos, center, celebrates after scoring in the first period to give the Kings a 2-1 lead Tuesday.

Tom Medoza/Staff Photographer