Kings Cause Ducks to Retreat

Offense down in the dumps? Shut out in your last exhibition game? Feeling the heat from your coach?

If you’re the Kings, the best remedy is 60 minutes of the Mighty Ducks’ shaky defensive corps.

The Ducks played the Kings even for 56 minutes, displaying a tight defense at times, then collapsed in the final four minutes of a 5-3 loss Monday before 15,327 at the Arrowhead Pond.

The Kings took full advantage of several Duck defensive breakdowns, erasing a one-goal deficit entering the third period.

Sean O’Donnell, Rob Blake, Yanic Perreault and Vladimir Tsyplakov scored third-period goals for the Kings (3-2-1 in exhibition play). Steve Rucchin, who scored twice, and Frank Banham scored for the Ducks (1-5).

Perreault’s goal, which proved to be the game-winner at 16:00, was a clear illustration of the Duck defense collapsing in front of goaltender Guy Hebert, who was helpless as Tsyplakov, then Philippe Boucher and finally Perreault had point-blank scoring chances.

Defenseman Jamie Pushor was the only Duck within sight and he was too late to prevent the goal.

Tsyplakov then skated across the blue line unchallenged, whipping a shot past Hebert at 17:39.

And to think, the Ducks spent more than an hour working on defensive coverage in their own zone during an intense practice Sunday.

“We need people to understand once the puck is in our zone that’s their only focus,” Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg said. “The first 170 feet [of the 200-foot rink] have been pretty good. It’s the last 30 feet that we need to improve on. My concern right now is our defensive play.”

King Coach Larry Robinson was troubled by a punchless offense after a 2-0 loss Saturday to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Monday, the Kings eased his worries with a solid come-from-behind victory.