Handzus, Kopitar get big scores in Kings’ rally from 3-goal deficit to beat Ducks 5-4

Kings rally from 3 goals down to beat Ducks in SO

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Michal Handzus tied it with 1:09 left in regulation to cap the Kings’ rally from a three-goal deficit, and Anze Kopitar scored the decisive shootout goal in Los Angeles’ 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

Justin Williams had a goal and an assist in the third period for the playoff-bound Kings, who trailed 4-1 late in the second period before rallying for their fourth win in six games against Anaheim in the annual Freeway Faceoff.

Teemu Selanne scored two goals for the Ducks, who weren’t officially out of the playoff race until moments before the shootout began. That’s when the Colorado Avalanche won their own shootout against Vancouver to eliminate Anaheim.

After Williams trimmed the Ducks’ lead to 4-3 with 12:04 to play, Los Angeles evened it with its first rush after goalie Erik Ersberg left the net. Williams chipped a pass from the wall and past Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer to Handzus, who poked it home for his 19th goal.

Jack Johnson and Kopitar scored in the shootout, while Ersberg stopped Selanne and Saku Koivu.

Alexander Frolov and captain Dustin Brown also scored for the Kings, who pulled goalie Jonathan Quick after the franchise’s single-season wins leader yielded three goals on eight shots in the first 22:01. Ersberg made 12 saves in relief for the Kings, who clinched a playoff berth two nights ago with Calgary’s loss to Chicago.

Bobby Ryan and Jason Blake each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who seemed to be cruising to their ninth victory in 12 games before the evening fell apart — just like the season of a club that couldn’t make the playoffs with eight Olympians in its lineup.

While Los Angeles is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, Anaheim will be home for the first time since before the NHL work stoppage in 2004-05.

Selanne scored his 604th and 605th career goals to extend a late surge in what the Finnish forward says is likely his final NHL season. He has five goals in the Ducks’ last four games, moving within three goals of Dino Ciccarelli for 16th place on the league’s career goal-scoring list.

Ducks backup goalie Curtis McElhinney made 36 saves. Anaheim played its sixth straight game without star center Ryan Getzlaf, who has a sprained left ankle, and goalie Jonas Hiller, who has back spasms.

Early in the second period, Quick and Kings defenseman Randy Jones handed Anaheim its third goal by horribly botching an exchange behind the net, sending the puck straight to Ryan in front for his 32nd goal while Quick still was behind the net.

Brown batted home his own rebound midway through the second period to get the Kings going, but Selanne ripped a power-play goal past Ersberg before Frolov trimmed the Ducks’ lead to 4-2 entering the third.

NOTES: Getzlaf says he still intends to try to play on his injured ankle in the Ducks’ final three regular-season games. He played through the injury while helping Canada to a gold medal in the Vancouver Olympics, but has aggravated the injury several times since. … Los Angeles last overcame a three-goal deficit Feb. 6 against Detroit. … Anaheim ended the Kings’ nine-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory in Los Angeles’ last trip down the I-5 to Orange County on Feb. 8.