Kings Sneak Past Ducks

Defenseman Joe Corvo went into an adequate break-dance routine, spinning on the ice, a burst of happiness that was a statement of the Kings cling-to-the-ledge situation.

The Mighty Ducks, meanwhile, trudged off in what may be the beginning of their last waltz.

Corvo had just taken a centering pass from Jozef Stumpel and buried a shot that gave the Kings a 4-3 victory 2 minutes 37 seconds into overtime in front of an announced sellout of 17,174 at the Arrowhead Pond on Wednesday.

“Every goal our team gets is all important,” said Luc Robitaille, who extended his goal-scoring streak to four games. “It’s a big time. We’re battling hard for a playoff spot.”

This was the Kings first overtime victory since Nov. 6 in Tampa, a streak of 16 overtime games.

Coach Andy Murray danced behind the bench after that victory. He left the hoofing for others Wednesday.

“We haven’t had that extra point for a long, long time,” Murray said.

“No dance tonight, but satisfaction.”

There was plenty to be happy about. The victory allowed the Kings to remain bunched up in a group of five teams fighting for four playoff spots. They are tied with Nashville for eighth place and are only two points behind fifth-place St. Louis.

The Ducks can only look up in envy at this point. They are 2-7-4-1 since winning consecutive games in early December. Even they see their playoff hopes as fluttering away.

What made this particularly frustrating for them was the way they lost.

Defenseman Todd Simpson had a pass intercepted by Stumpel, who found Corvo in the slot. A moment later, Corvo was spinning and the Ducks were reeling.

“I lost it in the snow there,” Simpson said. “The puck was not my friend tonight, that’s for sure. We want to keep control of the puck when it’s four-on-four. I held on to it too long. It was terrible play. I’d love to have it back.”

A do-over for the season might be welcomed by the Ducks This was the start of the Ducks’ self-proclaimed now-or-never stretch, as they have four games left before the All-Star break.

The Ducks got two goals from Steve Rucchin, who had one goal in his previous 29 games. They got a tremendous effort from Ruslan Salei, who dragged Robitaille through the slot and then chipped in the tying goal 7:29 into the third period.

But in the end, all they were left with was a sixth overtime loss, tops in the league, and one point. A consolation prize that was little consolation.

“This segment going into the break is so big for us,” Coach Mike Babcock said. “We got four games left. We’ve got to win them all.”

The Ducks are 12 points out of the last playoff spot. To add injury to that insult, they lost forward Rob Niedermayer for an indefinite period of time, as he re-injured his groin during the game.

“It’s a point, but we gave up two to L.A. and they’re a team in front of us,” Rucchin said. “There would be room for more frustration if we deserved to win.”

The Kings have found ways to deserve that lately, despite a hospital-wing-worth of injuries. They have a 4-1-1 record since their 14-game winless streak.

“When you get in a slump like that, you lose sight of what it is like to win,” Corvo said. “Now it’s like the guys know what it takes to win again.”

Stumpel found ways. He redirected a Corvo shot for the Kings third goal early in the third period. He assisted on two others, one on Scott Barney’s redirection that tied the score, 1-1, 1:18 into the second period.

Robitaille then put the Kings ahead with some slick stick work. The puck ricocheted from behind the net, and Robitaille corralled it and managed flip it in the net 4:35 into the second period.

It gave Robitaille his longest goal streak since scoring in seven consecutive games for the Detroit Red Wings in 2001.

He has points in six consecutive games since he was benched for two games by Murray.