Doughty thinks the Kings weren't lined up the proper way

As described in the article posted last hour...with time quickly expiring in the third period Wednesday, Ethan Moreau was in the penalty box, with the Kings and Stars lined up for a faceoff just outside LA's blueline.

Drew Doughty, who wasn't on the ice at the time of the draw and subsequent goal, said Dallas' formation isn't really that uncommon.

"Teams do that all the time if they need that goal late. They'll line up a guy wide and then try to win the draw laterally, and hope for the best. It worked out perfectly (for them). At the same time, I don't think we lined up the proper way too. I think we probably should have had a couple guys in the middle and taken care of the middle first - rather than give up a 2-on-1 that quickly. So, it was a tough way for them to tie it up, that's for sure."

On Steve Ott being the one to get the game-winner in overtime...

"He's a good player. He's a little rat, so it sucks that he scored the goal," quipped Doughty. "But, same thing on that goal - a 2-on-1 should never happen. We tried to track back and kind of get the play. But, you know, it was a bad bounce. We can't be letting teams back into the game like that. We didn't have a good game to begin with and we were up two-nothing. There's no way we should have let them get three goals."

On Jack Johnson's big hit on Mike Ribeiro just seconds before 'the rat' scored...

LA Kings coach Terry Murray talks Johnson's hit on Ribeiro

Following up on the last post, here's what Kings coach Terry Murray had to say about the hit Jack Johnson put on Mike Ribeiro just seconds before Steve Ott scored the game winning goal the other night...

"Could there be another time and another place? Maybe. If you slow the video down...you see a four-on-two coming. Kopi had fallen down and Loktionov is too deep - he should have been higher, he should have been at the depth of Kopitar. He probably would have been able to break the play up. I don't want to take that away from (Johnson's) game though. I like the fact that he's playing with that type of an attitude against better players on the opposition. There's a time and a place for everything. Could he have pulled it back a little bit and read the situation of four-on-two, (and thought) 'I can't do it right now'? Maybe. But, it happened."

Would you rather he take out Ribeiro in that situation and then take your chances with Steve Ott at the other end of the ice?

Kings' Jack Johnson explains the hit on Stars' Mike Ribeiro

Just seconds before Steve Ott scored the game winning goal for the Stars on Wednesday night, Kings defenseman Jack Johnson flat annihilated Mike Ribeiro at the other blue line.

In fact, in took Ribeiro several seconds to get up and get off the ice under his own power. However, his coach proclaimed him 'just fine' after the game and yesterday he was reported to be completely normal, without any signs of a concussion.

If you're the Kings, you would assume they'd rather take their chances with Ott at the other end than Ribeiro - who has 41 points in 42 career games vs. the Kings.

After practice today I asked Johnson if there were any smaller, less noticeable things going on between he and Ribeiro throughout the game.

"No, that was something that just happened," said the Kings defenseman. "He caught a pass in the middle of the ice and I didn't really expect him to cut back into me. It was more of, I was just going to pressure him. When he cut right into me, I figured 'Why not?' and it just ended up that way. But, there was no intention of going after him or anything. That was just the way it played out.

It had to feel good though to lay such a solid hit on a guy who's caused lots of problems for the Kings in the past though, right?

"Well, he's a tricky guy," quipped Johnson. "He's not an easy guy to hit. I think he surprised me just as much as I surprised him. I didn't expect him to do that (cut into me). He's a smart player and he's aware of everything around him. So, he's not an easy guy to hit and I'm sure he'll be trouble for us again.

Up next, comments from coach Terry Murray on the hit and ensuing goal.

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Doughty and Kings Cough Up Lead, Stars Win in OT

"You should be able to shut that game down." - Kings coach Terry Murray

Yet, perfection is a difficult thing to maintain.

Coming into Monday night's game with the Dallas Stars, the Kings had an 19-0-0 record when leading after two periods this season.

That's no longer the case.

LA scored the first goal of the game and led 2-1 after forty minutes. Then, within the first three minutes of the third, the teams traded goals - including a beautiful goal by Kyle Clifford - to make it 3-3.

A few minutes later Drew Doughty had his pocket picked by Jamie Benn, who skated all the way down to the other end and scored short-handed.

It went to overtime and who else but Brenden Morrow sealed the deal for the Stars. In 61 career games versus Los Angeles he has 19 goals (second only to his 21 against Phoenix). More specifically, in 31 games at Staples Center he's scored 10 goals (tops on his tour around the league).

Five other game notes (and video highlights):