This King Tie Is to Die For

There’s not much more to take away from the Kings other than their pride.

They’re not quite ready to give it up. Not even close, actually.

Playing against the faster, more experienced and eminently healthier Colorado Avalanche, the Kings earned a gutsy 3-3 tie against the league’s top team, sticking around in the playoff hunt before a delighted sellout crowd of 18,118 Thursday at Staples Center.

Derek Armstrong scored with 3:15 to play in regulation and forced overtime against a team that had been 12-1-1-1 in putting together one of the best surges in the league this season.

The King penalty kill came up big midway through the second period, wiping away a Colorado five-on-three man-advantage that lasted 1:40, and the Kings were even able to overcome the save of the game -- by center Steve Moore -- to emerge with a tie.

Trent Klatt started the game-tying play. With Skoula grabbing his left arm, Klatt pushed a one-handed shot from the right side toward goaltender David Aebischer, who kicked it out to the left side, right to Armstrong, who scored for the equalizer.

“That’s the way we have to be every game, every shift.... We know we have to fight,” Armstrong said. “It’s got to be a different player every night.”

There were many for the Kings.

The surprises started early when goaltender Cristobal Huet started for the Kings and broke a string of 12 consecutive games for Roman Cechmanek, who had been playing some of his best hockey this season.

The King game plan was unusual as well, featuring the almost untried tactic of trying to force turnovers against Colorado instead of merely trying to contain the Avalanche.

It worked. With the Avalanche clinging to a 3-2 lead, Aebischer came out too far to clear a puck that was intercepted by Jon Sim inside the blue line. Sim took a few strides toward the empty net and fired a shot from the left circle that was stopped by Moore’s right skate as Moore slid feet-first through the slot.

“Kick save and a beauty,” Sim said afterward, slightly chagrined.

It mattered only for a few minutes.

Klatt and Armstrong connected for the Kings, who have earned at least one point in six of their last seven games after enduring a 14-game winless streak, the third-longest in the team’s 37 seasons.

“Trent Klatt made a great play,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “If you want a goal that typifies our team ... that typifies what our team has done thus far.”

The Kings were going against one of the deepest lineups in the league. How much depth is there in Colorado? Teemu Selanne, who has averaged 39 goals the last seven seasons, has been spending a lot of time lately on the third line. The Avalanche’s top two lines are that good.

The Avalanche came into the game feeling loose and limber after winning 12 of its last 15, a main reason why its players could depart from normal protocol and talk to reporters about who would get booed more often in a 24-hour span: Rob Blake or Paul Kariya.

Kariya will play in Anaheim tonight for the first time since leaving the Mighty Ducks as a free agent, but it was Blake’s turn Thursday to face a once-friendly crowd gone hostile. It has been nearly three seasons since he was traded from the Kings, but Blake still heard it from King fans Thursday whenever the puck touched his stick.

King fans fell silent after Colorado took a 3-1 lead. Milan Hejduk scored into a vacant net after Huet committed early to his left, leaving the right side open for a wraparound at 8:43 of the second period.

Then the Kings picked up two penalties in rapid succession, giving the Avalanche a lengthy five-on-three advantage. It was killed, as were Colorado’s chances at a 4-1 lead.

“That penalty kill was huge,” King center Eric Belanger said.

It made sense that the Kings would claw their way back into the game.

They have been all business for a few days now. Before Wednesday’s game against the Ducks, Murray insisted the locker-room TV set be switched from the Dallas Stars’ game. Turns out the Stars and the Kings are a little too close for comfort in the Western Conference standings.

“We don’t need to be watching Dallas play right now or any of these other guys,” Murray said. “You can get so wound up watching those other games, it can be draining. We get our points and we’ll be all right.”

Alexander Frolov scored his team-high 17th goal at 13:26 of the second period to bring the Kings within a goal at 3-2.

*

King forward Sean Avery did not play for a second consecutive game because of a leg injury.... Before the game, Murray assessed the recent play of enigmatic center Jozef Stumpel, who had a goal and two assists Wednesday against the Mighty Ducks: “I think it’s up to Jozef Stumpel. He’s his own business. He needs to make sure his business has a profit at the end of the year.”