Kings Get Caught Short

In the end, just about everyone got what they came for Saturday.

Montreal Canadien fans wanted to express their displeasure with the Kings’ Sean Avery. They did.

The Montreal Canadien players wanted to end a four-game losing streak. They did, with a 3-2 victory.

And a kid soliciting funds for his youth hockey team outside the Bell Centre wanted to make a little money. He did, helped by $10 from, of all people, Avery.

The only ones out of pocket were the Kings. They dug deep, but lost their fourth consecutive game, three on this trip.

Pierre Dagenais scored two goals, doubling his season total, and Jan Bulis scored the game winner 4 minutes 35 seconds into the third period with the Canadiens short-handed. Goaltender Jose Theodore made a few more saves, Joe Corvo hit the post from the blue line with two seconds left and the Kings were off to Toronto, losers in five of their last six games.

“We’ve got to win a game,” center Craig Conroy said. “We got off to this great start this season, and now we’re giving it all back. It’s mentally taxing.”

Canadien fans didn’t want the Kings to leave Montreal completely empty-handed. With three seconds left, a stuffed teddy bear wearing a Quebec flag was tossed to the ice in front of Avery, who reached over the boards and flicked it toward the Canadiens’ bench.

The Kings and Avery can only hope that it meant closure to the controversy that had started when Avery made a derogatory comment about French Canadian players.

There was an edge to this trip for the Kings, who were coming to Quebec for the first time. Avery was escorted to the game by Lou McClary, the NHL security man for the Kings, and stopped to hand out a $10 gift for a kid’s hockey team.

Moments later, two fans hurled obscenities at Avery outside the arena. The Kings did their best to make light of the situation.

“I told him I didn’t want to sit next to him on the bench,” Conroy said. “Maybe we could put him in the penalty box for the whole game.”

Conroy added, “It was a tough week, but Avs knows it could have been a lot worse. I think he’s glad to move on to Toronto.”

That could not be confirmed, as Avery refused to talk with the media for a second consecutive game.

Avery was booed every time he stepped on the ice or touched the puck. Fans cheered when Francis Bouillon drove Avery into the boards in the second period, then roared when Mathieu Dandenault -- an Avery teammate in Detroit -- dropped him at the blue line moments later.

Yet Avery assisted on Eric Belanger’s goal that tied the score, 1-1, early in the second period. Jeff Cowan made it a 2-1 lead two minutes later and the Kings had reached their apex.

“They needed a win and they found a way to get it,” Coach Andy Murray said. “We needed a win and we didn’t find a way. We made critical errors.”

The Canadiens had lost eight of their last 10 games but got help Saturday.

A Mike Weaver turnover 19 minutes into the first period led to Dagenais’ first goal. A Corvo turnover set up Bulis for the game winner.

“We’ve got to start doing the little things right,” Luc Robitaille said. “When things are going bad, you need to go back to basics.”