Kings don’t close gap enough

Polar opposites in the NHL standings the last six weeks, the Kings and Detroit Red Wings have been drifting closer to the equator in recent games.

Los Angeles gave an indication of how far it has traveled Tuesday night, but still showed it’s miles apart from Detroit.

The Red Wings, playing without leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg, scored in each period and goalie Chris Osgood recorded his 46th career shutout to pave the way for a 3-0 victory at Staples Center.

“We had a couple breakdowns and they were opportunistic,” Kings forward Dustin Brown said. “Scored on every mistake we made.”

Los Angeles has been in the Western Conference basement since Dec. 13, but came into the game with victories in four of its last five games, its most successful stretch since late October.

The Red Wings, owners of the best record in the NHL for much of the season, avoided their first four-game losing streak this season by winning a shootout Thursday against the visiting Canucks.

Playing before their eighth home sellout, which matched the total from all of last season, the Kings showed they’re not the same insecure group that lost eight straight games in December, including a 6-2 loss at Detroit.

In the end, however, Detroit’s strengths were too powerful to overcome.

Osgood, who came into the game leading the league in goals-against average (1.95), stopped 27 shots to record his 356th career victory, passing former Kings goalie Rogie Vachon for 15th on the all-time list. Vachon’s retired jersey is one of five hanging from the rafters at Staples Center.

“I don’t put much in my average or save percentage,” Osgood said. “I just want to be able to win a ton of games by the time I’m done.”

The Kings inserted rookie forwards Teddy Purcell and Matt Moulson in the lineup because of injuries to Brian Willsie and Ladislav Nagy, but they were facing a Detroit team that was hardly 100%.

Zetterberg, who has 28 goals and 61 points this season, injured his lower back after absorbing a check late in the third period Saturday night at San Jose. He’s expected to sit out tonight’s game at Anaheim, as well as Sunday’s All-Star game, which he also missed last season because of a wrist injury.

The Kings have been victimized by early goals for much of the season, but it was Detroit that showed how to stave off an early barrage, giving up the game’s first seven shots before getting one of its own nearly 6 1/2 minutes into the game.

The Red Wings then made good on their second shot, as Pavel Datsyuk got away from Tom Preissing by sliding the puck through his legs, then centered a pass to Tomas Holmstrom, who beat Jason LaBarbera with a slap shot to his glove side. The Kings outshot Detroit, 12-6, in the opening period.

Detroit took its time getting started in the second period as well, getting its first shot of the period at the 6:39 mark and then taking a 2-0 lead eight minutes later when Mikael Samuelsson stole the puck from Derek Armstrong near the Kings’ blue line and started a two-on-one break. Before Kings defenseman Rob Blake could interrupt the play, Samuelsson fired a slap shot past LaBarbera.

The Kings had only 15 shots on goal over the final two periods.

“They know how to shut you down when they get up a couple goals,” Kings defenseman Brad Stuart said. “They put it on lockdown and make it real tough for you.”

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dan.arritt@latimes.com