Los Angeles, CA – Jonathan Bernier made a career-high 40 saves and the Los Angeles Kings topped the Phoenix Coyotes for the second straight night at Staples Center, this time by a 3-2 final.
The Coyotes had been shut out in the first three games of their four-game road trip, but Shane Doan ended the drought late in the third period to pull Phoenix within a goal.
The Kings quickly answered with a power-play tally by Jarret Stoll that wound up being the game-winner after Doan scored again in the final minute.
"We knew they were going to shoot from everywhere, but we did a good job of controlling rebounds," said Bernier, who is 7-0-0 in eight starts this season.
Dustin Penner and Drew Doughty also scored for Los Angeles, which has won three straight, including a 4-0 win on Monday against its Pacific Division rival.
Mike Smith made 26 saves in Phoenix's fifth straight road loss.
The Kings lit the lamp with 5:22 remaining in the opening period when Justin Williams' feed from behind the net found the stick of Penner out front despite there being two defenders stationed in the crease.
Penner went between Smith's legs for the initial tally, whereas Doughty' goal -- his first of the season -- was a rising slap shot from the left circle that breezed past Smith into the far corner at the 6:28 mark of the middle stanza.
The Coyotes put the pressure on in the third, and on a 4-on-4, they finally got on the board, as Keith Yandle's point shot was redirected by Doan with 8:32 on the clock. The goal ended a 245:33 scoreless drought and was Phoenix's first on the road since Feb. 26 at Vancouver.
But 36 seconds after cutting the deficit to one, Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris was sent off for interference. Stoll sent one in off the post with 6:14 remaining following a nice cross-ice feed from Mike Richards, a pivotal goal considering Doan netted his 11th of the year with 40.9 seconds to go.
"It's disappointing. Our team deserved a better fate tonight," Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett said.
Game Notes
The Kings are 12-1-1 when scoring first and have won 11 of their last 12 home games ... Jonathan Quick shut out the Coyotes on Monday with a 27-save performance ... The Kings went 1-for-5 on the power play, while Phoenix did not score on three chances with an extra attacker.
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