Kings Are Left Seething in Loss

The Kings’ left the ice heated Friday, with confusion, anger and a goaltender controversy.

The confusion came on how San Jose’s Jonathan Cheechoo managed to slip the puck under goaltender Jason LaBarbera with 3.7 seconds left, giving the Sharks a wild 5-4 victory at Staples Center.

The anger came from the Kings’ Jeremy Roenick, who was livid about being knocked to the ice in front of the Sharks’ net moments before the game-winning goal. He then saw teammate Dustin Brown called for hooking to set up Cheechoo’s goal.

In goal, Mathieu Garon started, LaBarbera finished and neither is certain of his status, except that LaBarbera will start tonight against St. Louis.

Said Roenick: “It was a ... call, with all the [stuff] they were calling during the game, and they don’t call that, then make another

Roenick barked at officials from the bench immediately after the call, then received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 10-minute misconduct after Cheechoo’s goal.

In the second period, the Kings had erased a 2-1 deficit, then blew a 3-2 lead, all in a five-minute stretch.

That merely set up the wild finish. After Roenick was knocked to the ice, the Sharks cleared the zone. Brown got a stick on Ryane Clowe and was called for hooking.

“I gave him a little tug, that’s about all,” Brown said.

Patrick Marleau fired a shot on net and Milan Michalek tipped the puck at the crease. A scrum followed, with Cheechoo left untouched at the right post.

He scored and Roenick went off.

“I get taken down in front of the net with a hold and the referee is standing right there,” Roenick said. “He knew he missed the call. He knew it was penalty. All the [stuff] they have been calling all year and they don’t call that? A good hockey game gone down the tubes.”

The fallout will be seen in crease.

King Coach Andy Murray has hummed a merry tune in trading off Garon and LaBarbera each game, and claiming there was no goaltending controversy.

But after Garon gave up three goals Friday, he was yanked 11:08 into the second period. LaBarbera then gave up a goal on the first shot he faced.

“I was a little surprised,” Garon said. “I didn’t think I gave up a bad goal tonight.”

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One-sided

Since the Kings defeated San Jose, 3-2, on Feb. 17, 2003, the Sharks have gone undefeated against the Kings in their last seven meetings, winning six with one tie.

*--* DATE SCORE Oct. 28, 2005 Sharks 5, KINGS 4 April 4, 2004 SHARKS 4, Kings 3 (OT) March 31, 2004 Sharks 3, KINGS 0 March 18, 2004 Sharks 5, KINGS 3 March 13, 2004 SHARKS 3, Kings 1 Dec. 27, 2003 Sharks 4, KINGS 4 Dec. 26, 2003 SHARKS 5, Kings 0

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Home team in all caps

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KINGS TONIGHT

vs. St. Louis, 7:30, FSNW

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 710.

Records -- Kings 7-4-0-0, Blues 2-6-1-1.

Record vs. Blues (2003-04) -- 0-4-0-0.

Update -- The Kings put forward Jeff Cowan (strained groin) on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 6, and recalled Noah Clarke from minor league Manchester. Clarke played Friday against San Jose in place of Derek Armstrong, who suffered a strained groin in practice Thursday. Coach Andy Murray said that Cowan could play tonight, although that would seem unlikely since the team brought in Clarke. St. Louis will be without forward Keith Tkachuk, who is out three to five weeks with cracked ribs. The Blues have played six one-goal games this season, losing five. The Kings have lost six consecutive games to the Blues.

Tickets -- (888) 546-4752.