It’s a Last-Minute Gift: Millen Gets Kings a Tie : Hockey: He scores with 47 seconds left in regulation to cap third-period comeback against Oilers.

The Kings’ once-firm grasp on first place was slipping away and they knew it. Accordingly, they fought and scrapped their way back into this game against the Edmonton Oilers, pulling out a 5-5 tie Friday night at Northlands Coliseum before 15,257.

They scored twice in the final 12:29 to erase a two-goal deficit to force overtime, pulling even on Bob Kudelski’s goal at 7:31 and Corey Millen’s with 47 seconds remaining in regulation.

“This is as good a game as we’ve played in a month,” Coach Barry Melrose said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries to overcome. We overcame stupidity--taking penalties--early in the game, in the middle of the game and late in the game. You can’t do this against Edmonton.”

Millen’s tying goal, his 20th of the season, came when the Kings pulled goaltender Kelly Hrudey for an extra attacker. Marty McSorley barely got off a shot at Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford and Millen, crashing the net, converted in front.

Said Millen: “I went down deep. Marty shot it and the rebound came to me, and I chipped it over him.

“I didn’t have time to think. The puck came to me and I banged it.”

Finally, the Kings were rewarded for all of their chances--and they had enough of them, putting 52 shots on goal. Only Ranford’s excellent play stopped the Kings from winning.

“He played so well,” Melrose said. “If someone had told me we’d outshoot them, 52-30, I’d have said you’re crazy. We had a lot of quality chances.”

One King, Kudelski, made the most of his rare chance to play, much less on the top line with Luc Robitaille and Jari Kurri.

Kudelski, coming virtually out of exile, scored his first goal since Oct. 27 against the New York Islanders.

Kudelski broke in all alone in front, shoveling a backhander past Ranford. What set it up was a pinpoint pass from Robitaille on the far right wing.

“It felt great,” said Kudelski, who has been on the trading market for at least a month. “It’s tough to get going when you haven’t been playing. It’s hard to jump right in there when you’ve come out of the stands. Toward the end of the game, it was getting a little tough.”

The Kings’ inspired comeback means that first place in the Smythe Division, for now, is safe.

Even if the Kings (20-9-4) were to lose tonight to second-place Calgary, the Flames could only share first place with the Kings, not claim it for themselves. It has almost been a month since the Kings moved into first place.

Until the third-period comeback, that appeared to be in serious jeopardy. While the Flames are close behind in second place, looming on the outside is Vancouver. The Canucks, taking advantage of an easy stretch in the schedule, are only five points out of first.

The Kings’ commanding lead has dwindled in the wake of a handful of injuries, forcing them to import some minor leaguers. For now, the Kings are a hybrid--Los Angeles/Phoenix.

“We’re not so caught up in the first-place thing,” Melrose said. “We want to get caught up in playing well.”

Melrose was displeased by the Kings’ tendency to take silly penalties the entire game. And the Oilers, for the most part, were able to take advantage, scoring four times on 10 opportunities. The Kings were two for nine.

“We battled pretty hard,” Tony Granato said. “But we self-destructed for a while. We’ve got to be more disciplined.”