Kings Hit a Couple Quickly to Gain Tie With Devils

INGLEWOOD, Calif. —  Mike Krushelnyski and Mike Allison scored 80 seconds apart to pull the Kings into a 6-6 tie with the New Jersey Devils Thursday night.

The Kings missed a chance to win the game in overtime when they were awarded a penalty shot. But New Jersey goalie Sean Burke made a stick save of Luc Robitaille’s shot with just 1:18 left. The penalty was called on New Jersey for displacing the net during a scramble.

Krushelnyski scored the seventh goal of the period with a 20-foot wrist shot at 16:16 to tie the game. Allison had gotten his second goal of the night on a power play at 14:56.

The Devils had scored three goals in just 1:28 to take a 6-4 lead. John MacLean got his second of the night and 31st of they year at 10:46 to pull the Devils into a 4-4 tie.

Kirk Muller scored at 11:02 to give the Devils a 5-4 lead and MacLean set up defenseman Tom Kurvers’ goal at 12:14 for the two-goal advantage.

Los Angeles had scored four straight goals, taking a 4-3 lead, when Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille each connected for his 35th goal of the year less than three minutes apart in the third period.

The Kings, who went from 11:40 of the first period to 11:50 of the second period without a shot, scored twice on power plays in less than three minutes. John Tonelli started the Kings’ comeback with his 27th goal of the season at 10:13 of the second period. He took a pass from Bernie Nicholls, who was behind the net, and fired in a 15-footer from the slot.

Steve Duchesne, second among league defensemen in scoring, got his career-high 40th assist.

Allison then scored at 12:52, just eight seconds after New Jersey’s Pat Conacher was whistled for tripping. Allison knocked a rebound of Robitaille’s shot between Burke’s legs.

Steve Kasper, recently acquired from the Boston Bruins, assisted for his first point as a King.

MacLean scored his first goal of the night at 11:40 of the first period. MacLean’s 30-foot wrist shot from the slot split the two Los Angeles’ defensemen and beat goalie Mark Fitzpatrick. Until MacLean’s goal, the Devils had been outshot 9-2 to open the game.