Game 58: Rangers 4, Kings 3

To peep out the Hockeywood Dailies from this game, click here...

The Kings traveled with their gaudy 8-0-2 record to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers. Coming into the contest, both teams had similar records (L.A. had 66 points, NY 64.) Both have basically fared the same in many catergories (L.A. has the 3rd best GAA, NY has the 6th; the Kings are one place ahead of the Rangers on the penalty kill at 7th).

I don't think I'd be wrong in suggesting Thursday night's game was the first time since Gretzky and Messier squared off that their respective teams were this equal, on the ice.

Dustin Brown has been going through some struggles offensively recently. You can tell it's been weighing heavy on his mind. And as they say about big players stepping up in big games, Brown did just that within the firsat five mintes of the contest.

While on the power play, Brown spun around after taking a pass from Justin Williams, pulled the puck back and caught the goalie they call King Henrik flat-footed for his 19th of the season. But the Rangers stayed right on the Kings tails the rest of the first period.

But slowly, the Rangers' consistent pressure started to wear on the Kings.Early in the second period, the Blueshirts finally caught a break when Ryan Callahan scored to make it 1-1. Then Marian Gaborik scored early in the third to give New York their first lead.

You could feel the momentum shifting in the game before something amazing happened. After a season of giving up goals to opponents immediately after scoring, the Kings got a taste of what other teams have done when defenseman Matt Greene scored to tie the game at 2-2. It was a bang-bang play that quickly quieted the usually riotous MSG, and proof that the Kings are starting to learn from their experiences.

The Rangers then fought for the lead again, when Artem Anisimov scored to give fans a reason to cheer. That's when The Captain reminded them just how potent he can be when he potted his second goal of the night. It had been since Dec. 27 against the Sharks that Brown has scored twice in a game, and you could see the relief on his face.

The game headed to overtime, but right as the puck dropped, Alexei Ponikarovsky received 4-minute double minor for high-sticking Marc Staal. Actually, it looked as if Staal was lightly tapped and folded like a cheap lawn chair. But because Glass Staal started dripping blood, the Kings would have to skate for the majority of the OT period down a man.

But the league's 7th ranked PK unit and Jonathan Bernier turned away all Rangers' attempt to clinch the game. Then Brandon Dubinsky got the gate for two minutes for high-sticking Willie Mitchell, which turned the game into  a rare 3-on-3 situation. Seeing that much ice reminds me of Nintendo Ice Hockey.

Finally, the game ended deadlocked, and went to a shootout. Bernier, certainly isn't Jonathan Quick in the extra-curricular event, and he eventually lost. A hard way to lose a game, certainly. Especially when you see this team is responding the right ways after they fall behind.

Next up for the Kings are the New York Islanders, who are lower in the Atlantic than the Cloverfield monster. Hopefully the Kings won't be looking past them to LaGuardia, where they will finally return to SoCal. With a win, they will break their record of 11-game point streak that has stood since 1974.

• AP: Rangers outlast Kings for 4-3 shootout win

Only one other time—in 1974—have the Kings earned a point in 11 consecutive games, and that was before the advent of the overtime loss and the shootout. Los Angeles also recorded a point for the ninth consecutive road game (6-0-3), three shy of breaking the team mark set in the 1973-74 season.

• LA Times: Kings' 4-3 shootout setback to Rangers isn't a total loss

Playing on the second successive night, the Kings showed a strong resolve in erasing deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 in a physically punishing game, pulling even the last time with 2:21 left in the third period on a sharp-angle shot by Brown that caromed off the back of goalie Henrik Lundqvist's head.

• LAKings.com: Kings lose to Rangers 4-3 in shootout 

In total, the Kings probably got what they deserved out of the game: one point. There were some positives, such as Brown's two-goal game -- he had one goal in his previous 16 games -- and the end of a four-game power-play drought, but the Kings also got loose at times and were outshot 37-28 by the Rangers. The Kings went 1-for-3 on the power play and went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, perfect for a fifth consecutive game.

• NHL.com: Rangers top Kings 4-3 in shootout  

"We lost a point, but I'm looking at it as a tremendous third period," Murray said. "We're playing back to back, we get to our beds last night at 3 in the morning and it's demanding to come to the building today and play a team that has been sitting here fresh and a team that is playing pretty good.

• NHL.com: Recent hot play has Kings back in contention

Their goals per game has stayed a solid 2.3 over their last 22 games, but their goaltending was woeful and penalty kill inconsistent over a 12-game stretch from Dec. 29 through Jan. 20, so they went 2-10-0 and fell out of the playoff race.

They said it

“The second (regulation) goal, I lost it in the stands and I didn’t know where it was. That’s the kind of goal, especially at the end of the season, when you’re battling for a playoff spot, you can’t give up those goals, that’s for sure.” - Jonathan Bernier, on the Rangers’ second goal in regulation.

"That point is a huge point for us. You get to a shootout, and it is what it is. We’ve won our fair amount of those, and tonight we didn’t get the extra point. It was a huge point for us not to get, but we’ve got to just kind of take the point and refocus, because we’ve had a really good road trip and we can make it a great one if we win against the Islanders.” - Dustin Brown, on not getting the extra point because of the shootout loss.

"You’ve got to know how to play one-goal games, to win those one-goal games, and the checking is the only way that you can get that job done, when guys are buying into it. Again, we’re doing a good job away from the puck.” - Terry Murray, on playing tight games down the stretch.

"The year's gonna have those ups and downs, and that was our biggest low of the year, but now it feels great, because we come in against a good team like L.A., a really good team, and get two points. It's huge."  – The Rangers Erik Christensen, using the Kings as a measuring stick.