After 2 in St. Louis: Kings 4, Blues 4; Mitchell out with lower-body injury

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The second period started well but briefly turned into a nightmare for the Kings. They fell behind and lost defenseman Willie Mitchell to what a team spokesman called a lower-body injury. Mitchell, recently returned from a fractured left hand, was not expected to return to the game. But the Kings managed to score twice in the last five minutes to pull even at 4-4.

The Kings capitalized on a five-on-three advantage to take a 2-1 lead at the two-minute mark. Anze Kopitar scored on a 40-foot shot from straight on, off assists from Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson.

But the Blues matched that at 5:07, when Vladimir Sobotka lifted a short shot over Jonathan Quick’s shoulder after Brad Boyes had bumped Trevor Lewis off the puck behind the Kings’ net.

The Blues began swarming and pressuring the Kings, who were scrambling in their own end. Sure enough, Johnson took an interference penalty and the Blues capitalized at 9:46 when Brad Winchester, parked in front of Quick, deflected a long shot by Carlo Colaiacovo.

The Blues extended their lead to 4-2 at 15:07 on a long slap shot by Eric Brewer, but the Kings scored two quick goals to pull even.

Wayne Simmonds, who had the winner Monday at Detroit, scored his sixth goal of the season on a hard shot from the lower edge of the left circle. The goal, at 15:53, was made possible on excellent work along the boards and behind the net by Kyle Clifford and Michal Handzus.

The Kings tied it at 17:20. Kopitar went behind the net, came out and passed on his backhand to the point to Rob Scuderi. The defenseman’s shot didn’t get through and Dustin Brown pounced on it for his 11th goal of the season.

Through two periods the Blues had a 24-17 edge in shots.
More later at www.latimes.com/sports
-- Helene Elliott in St. Louis