LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Los Angeles Kings elected to make a change in goal and the move nearly paid off.
Looking to end a four-game winless streak, the Kings had opted to give Erik Ersberg his first start of the season. The 26-year-old Swede played well enough to win, but had to settle for helping Los Angeles gain just its second standing points in its last five games (0-3-2) when Chris Pronger scored 40 seconds into overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 1-0 victory Tuesday night.
``I liked his game a lot,' said Kings coach Terry Murray of Ersberg. ``Having not played in several weeks here, he showed a lot of composure; he was very calm, under control and made some very big stops.'
Jason LaBarbera had started all 11 of the Kings' prior games, including a 6-3 victory over the Ducks when the teams last met on October 14.
Ersberg had replaced LaBarbera mid-game on two occasions, giving up two goals on 14 shots.
The second-year NHL goalie's lone miscue Tuesday occurred just as Kings forward Wayne Simmonds raced from the penalty box after serving a hooking penalty called with 1:24 to play in regulation. The penalty carried into overtime and the Ducks were able to continue on the attack as it ended.
``I knew the guy was coming out of the box so I shot it, luckily it went off the crossbar and in,' said Pronger. ``We did enough to win, but that's not good enough for this group.'
Jean-Sebastien Giguere was brilliant making 35 saves to earn his second shutout of the season and 31st of his career.
``On the road it might not be perfect, but the important thing is we got two points,' said Giguere. ``Every time we played the Kings so far in either exhibition or regular season, they've given us a run for our money.'
By getting past the Kings and a 26-save effort by Ersberg, the Ducks have now earned 15 of 16 standings points (6-0-1) in their last eight games.
It was also the first time in 43 trips to Los Angeles that the Ducks left town with a shutout win. The Southern California rivals had only skated through a 1-0 game on one prior occasion. Jamie Storr backstopped the Kings to a 1-0 win in LA on April 14, 2002.
The Ducks power play had been a sizzling 10-for-29 (35.5%) over the prior six games, but Kings penalty killers were able to shutdown all five Anaheim power plays Tuesday. Anaheim had to kill six LA power play chances.
``They had a couple great chances, but (Giguere) was up to the task and made some great saves for us to keep the score 0-0 and give us a chance to try and find that winning goal,' said Pronger.
Ersberg was equally as sharp as Giguere in just his third appearance this season.
``I think I played pretty well, we got one point, I guess that's good,' said Ersberg, who had stopped 29 of 30 shots in his only other appearance against the Ducks, a 2-1 shootout loss on March 26, 2008. ``I guess its a game to build on.'
In 14 appearances last season, Ersberg compiled a 6-5-3 record with a 2.48 goals-against-average and a .927 save-percentage, tops among LA goalies.
After a lackluster opening period Tuesday, things got heated in the second when Kings rookie forward Brian Boyle sent Ducks right wing Rob Niedermayer sprawling headfirst into the board with a check near center ice. Following a brief scuffle the Kings were set up with a four-minute power-play, but the advantage was quickly offset by a subsequent hooking penalty on Michal Handzus.
LA forward Alexander Frolov had a breakaway with 9 minutes to play in the second, but couldn't beat Giguere.
Notes: Kings defenseman Dennis Gauthier skated in his 500th NHL game. ... Ducks forward George Parros remains day-to-day after suffering a right-eye abrasion against Vancouver last Friday.
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