SUDDEN LIFE KINGS FORCE GAME 6 ON JOHNSON'S GOAL IN OVERTIME KINGS 1, COLORADO 0.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

DENVER - There is enough controversy, pain and suspense to fill a dozen motion-picture thrillers. The first-round playoff series between the Kings and the Colorado Avalanche didn't end Thursday night and perhaps it's just getting started.

A puck that deflected off the skate of forward Craig Johnson and into the net 2:19 into overtime kept the Kings' season going with a 1-0 victory over the Avalanche in Game 5 of the first-round series in front of 18,007 at Pepsi Center.

Although Colorado leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, the Kings accomplished the only thing they could, as they forced the Avalanche to return to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.

``We didn't want our season to end, and (the Avalanche) didn't want to get on a plane,'' Kings defenseman Aaron Miller said. ``No one in that (Colorado) locker room wanted to get on that plane, and now we have a chance to get them at home.''

In the same situation last season in the second round, the Kings stayed alive with a 1-0 overtime road victory in Game 6 but lost in seven games. At this point, the Kings want to make another trip to Denver for a possible Game 7 on Monday.

The Kings started overtime with a flurry of offense. They eventually worked the puck near the left boards to defenseman Jaroslav Modry, who threw it toward the net, hoping for some sort of redirection from someone in front of Roy.

That's what he got. Johnson, positioned directly in front of the net, said he saw the puck but couldn't get his stick down on it. The puck glanced off Johnson's skate and past Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy, who immediately protested that Johnson illegally kicked the puck into the net.

``It hit me right on the foot, but it wasn't a kick, it just went off the skate,'' Johnson said. ``I was just trying to get to the net and hopefully get a deflection.''

Replays showed Johnson's skate did move slightly when the puck touched it.

``The person who made that call missed something because there is no way this guy could (score),'' said Roy, whose scoreless playoff streak ended at nearly 154 minutes. ``There's no way the guy could score if he didn't make a bit of a forward motion in the direction of the net.''

Minutes after the game ended, Kings coach Andy Murray said he had yet to see a replay of the goal but, not surprisingly, was assured of its authenticity.

``I would imagine it was viewed pretty closely (by the video-review judge),'' Murray said. ``The people upstairs would have called down if there was a problem.''

Johnson's goal ended another sparkling duel between Roy and Kings goaltender Felix Potvin, who made 26 saves and recorded his third career playoff shutout. Roy, who made 22 saves, beat the Kings 1-0 on Tuesday and had not allowed a goal since Ziggy Palffy scored at 8:29 of the second period in Game 3.

The Kings won on the road for the first time in 10 games (1-8-1).

However, it wasn't all good news for the Kings, as they learned after the game one of their top defensemen, Philippe Boucher, will be lost for the rest of the series with an eye injury.

With 4:41 remaining in the first period, Colorado's Darius Kasparaitis fired a slap shot from the blue line. The puck deflected off Kings defenseman Mattias Norstrom and into the air, striking Boucher on the right eye. Murray said Boucher suffered a cut near the eye and that Lubomir Visnovsky would likely take Boucher's place in the lineup Saturday.

That forced the Kings, already without injured forwards Adam Deadmarsh and Cliff Ronning, to play with only five defensemen.

``We're a dedicated group and we've had our backs against the wall all year,'' Johnson said. ``We just wanted to get it back to L.A. for Game 6.''

But for a couple inches, the Kings season would be over.

Just over five minutes into the third period, Colorado forward Joe Sakic sped down the left side and ripped a slap shot from near the boards. Potvin came out of his net to cut down on the shot angle, but the puck went over his shoulder and rang off the crossbar.

``I was just happy to look behind me and not see it in the net,''said Potvin, who has allowed two goals in three games after giving up nine in the first two.

The teams' styles in regulation seemed to reflect their standing in the series. The Kings tried to limit their mistakes, knowing just one miscue would end their season, while the Avalanche pushed forward as often as possible.

Neither team could score, however, until Johnson dealt the Avalanche its fate with his skate.

``You never want to lose when you have a team down, it's just like last year,'' Colorado forward Dan Hinote said. ``We've got to go back there and face an even hungrier team. We knew that going in. We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole, but we'll dig our way out.''

Only 16 of 186 teams that have trailed a seven-game series 3-1 went on to win the series. The Kings did it against Edmonton in 1989, Wayne Gretzky's first season with L.A., but their comeback against Colorado last year fell short.

GAME 6

Kings vs. Colorado

Saturday, 3 p.m.

TV: Ch. 7

KICKING RULE

Here's a look at Rule 70, section a and b of the NHL's official rules:

-- Kicking the puck shall be permitted in all zones. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net. A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who kicks a puck that deflects into the net off any player, goalkeeper or Official.

-- A puck that deflects into the net off of an attacking player who does not use a distinct kicking motion, is a legitimate goal.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy watches helplessly as the puck finds the back of the net in overtime, giving the Kings a 1-0 victory.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

(2 -- color) Colorado's Eric Messier, foreground, expresses his frustration as the Kings celebrate.

Hyoung Chang/Denver Post

Box:

(1) GAME 6 (see text)

(2) KICKING RULE (see text)

(3) GAME RECAP

(4) STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS