Belanger, Kings Grind One Out

Eric Belanger is already watching the NHL standings, adding to the grim and gritty chores he usually performs for the Kings.

The Kings sit alone in first place in the Pacific Division, with their 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday tightening that hold a little. Belanger was a face in the King crowd, with a goal and an assist to go with his usual duties -- winning faceoffs, killing penalties and blocking shots.

Mathieu Garon, the Kings’ other goaltender, stopped 32 of 34 shots, flopping and flailing at times. Michael Cammalleri, Alexander Frolov and Craig Conroy also scored goals, and the Kings smothered six power plays.

All of which kept them from losing consecutive games for the first time this season.

“It seems like we keep winning and winning and we’re still only four points out of last place [in the division],” Belanger said. “It’s amazing. You have a bad five or six games and you can get behind fast.”

Belanger still fits nicely into the new NHL. While rule changes and a greater emphasis on calling obstruction have helped increase scoring, there is still an important need for muck-and-grinders.

“You know when Eric has had a good shift because he is barely able to crawl over the boards afterward,” Jeremy Roenick said. “I have never seen a guy who gets hit with that many pucks. He must have pockmarks all over his legs.”

Belanger did his share of that Friday. But he also got his stick on the puck at a key moment.

The Blackhawks have had seven players make their NHL debuts this season and had five rookies in the lineup Friday, yet they dominated the first period. Defenseman Brent Seabrook, one of the rookies, gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot that grazed Garon’s arm before going into the net.

The Blackhawks continued to buzz the net and control the puck before Belanger stepped in. Jeff Cowan fired a puck on net, with the rebound landing at Belanger’s feet. He kicked the puck to his stick and chipped in a shot to tie the score at 18 minutes 23 seconds of the first period.

“That was a big lift for us,” Belanger said. “I could feel it after the goal. We never looked back.”

Cammalleri scored with six seconds left in the period. Belanger then intercepted a pass and made a slick pass to Frolov, who scored 1:54 into the second period.

The Kings needed a big game from Garon as well. He has spent most of the last two weeks watching Jason LaBarbera play in what has been a growing, yet benign, goaltender controversy.

“We just have two goalies, we don’t have a No. 1,” Coach Andy Murray said. “We’re going to go with who we feel will be best.

“I wouldn’t have a problem splitting the job all season. That would mean one of two things. Either we’re really bad and out of [the playoff race] or we have two good goalies.”

Garon was making only his second start since being yanked from an Oct. 28 game against San Jose. He looked a tad rusty but held his own against the Blackhawk pressure. He also endured a few collisions, one in which he took a stick to the throat.

“It was a battle a little bit at first,” Garon said. “The decision [to play] is not mine. I did what I had to do tonight and showed how I can play.”

The Kings didn’t help at times, giving the Blackhawks six power plays. But they killed each, running their steak to 21.

Said Murray: “Your best penalty killer is your goaltender. If it wasn’t for Garon, we would have been down two or three goals at the start.”