Kings rise, slip and rise again

In a game with implications that extend beyond the regular season, the Kings defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-3, Saturday before an announced 14,487 at Staples Center.

Just how many pingpong balls could be allotted to the Kings and Phoenix Coyotes come draft lottery day might have been on the line.

If so, the Kings took a step backward in the that race but claimed residence on the fringe of the early playoff chase when Craig Conroy sent the puck past goaltender Curtis Joseph to break a 3-3 tie nine minutes into the third period. That in part allowed the Kings to avoid questions about how they blew a 3-0 lead and collapsed for a second consecutive game.

They let a two-goal, third-period lead get away in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Instead, the Kings celebrated their second victory in three games and showered praise on Alexander Frolov, who scored two goals for the third consecutive game.

“Fro is the hottest player in the league right now,” Conroy said. “That was just a huge win. We need to build on this. I was hoping no one was thinking about what happened against the Flyers, because I wasn’t.”

What Conroy was thinking as he lined up his shot was: Where is Frolov?

“I kept looking for him,” Conroy said. “He was there, I just couldn’t find him. So thought I might as well shoot.”

And the puck slipped past Joseph’s pads.

“It’s much better to win,” Frolov said. “That’s the bottom line, we won.”

Neither the Kings nor the Coyotes have seemed playoff worthy thus far this season. But as bad as the Kings have been, the Coyotes have been worse, spending most of the season at the bottom of the Pacific Division. Their roster includes Joseph, Jeremy Roenick and Owen Nolan, all players whose best days were last century.

Still, the Coyotes came in with a two-game winning streak and hopes of closing in on the Kings. That seemed a distinct possibility after Kings goaltender Dan Cloutier gave up three goals in seven shots to resurrect the Coyotes. When the last of those shots went off the stick of Oleg Saprykin, fluttered high in the air and dropped over Cloutier’s left into the net, the score was tied 6:30 into the third period.

“I never saw the puck,” Cloutier said. “I kept backing up and then I heard it go off the crossbar and knew it was in. I’m just glad the guys battled back and won.”

And they won despite being without defenseman Rob Blake for part of the game. He suffered a groin injury in the second period and did not return.

“I have had this before,” Blake said. “We won’t know the severity of it for a day or two. But we have a few days before we play again, so I can rest it.”

Frolov became the first Kings player to have three consecutive multiple-goal games since Luc Robitaille in the 1992-93 season. He leads the team with 12 goals.

“Every chance I get, I’m shooting on net,” Frolov said.

Frolov’s second goal Saturday was among his best. He raced past defenseman Ed Jovanovski before tucking a backhander into the net for a short-handed goal and a 3-0 lead seven minutes into the second period.

“Fro has some swagger going right now,” Conroy said. “He is going to the net more ... and putting shots on net. He just feels like every time the puck is on his stick, he is going to score. I’m just looking to get him the puck every time.”

Well, not every time. Conroy took one big shot himself.

“I had been passing all day, I guess it was my turn to shoot,” Conroy said.

chris.foster@latimes.com