From behind the net, Roenick passed in front to defenseman Jyrki Lumme, whose shot hit the crossbar and flew over goaltender Stephane Fiset. Two Kings players swiped at the puck before center Bryan Smolinski batted it into his own net. Roenick was credited with his 18th goal.

  "I saw the puck in the air and it looked like it was going to fall and hit Fiset and go into the net," Smolinski said. "I had to hit it. I couldn't reach it with my hand because I didn't want to step on Fiset. Instinctively you've just try and hit it. I don't know how I hit it in there. It just deflected down into the net."

  Travis Green tallied twice and Bob Essensa made 35 saves for the Coyotes, who won for the third time in four games and opened a three-point lead over second-place San Jose in the Pacific Division. Phoenix has won six in a row in Los Angeles and 12 of the last 18 meetings with the Kings.

  "Obviously I was fortunate tonight," Essensa said. "You expect them to throw the puck at the net a lot and that's what they did. Especially in this building they like to jump out on teams. Fortunately, we were able to get the lead and hold it or keep it even the rest of the game."

  Luc Robitaille and Ian Laperriere tallied for Los Angeles, which suffered its season-high fifth straight loss. The Kings remain one win away from 1,000 in franchise history.

  "The loss is very disheartening," Los Angeles coach Andy Murray said. "We felt our team has played very hard in the last two games and we don't have a win to show for it. It's obviously disappointing. We played real hard tonight. We just haven't been able to score and have given up some unfortunate goals. We had lots of opportunities and didn't score. We have to be better."

  Phoenix tried to nurse a 2-1 lead in the third period but Robitaille scored just his second goal in 10 games since coming back from a broken bone in his foot at 7:54. Jozef Stumpel brought the puck out of the right corner to the circle, turned and spun before threading a pass to Robitaille, who was streaking down the middle after the coming off the bench. He beat Essensa shortside for his 12th goal.

  "It was a great pass by Stump," Robitaille said. "It was so good I think it surprised the goalie that he gave me the short side.

  "The last two games we've outplayed both teams. We just can't stop working the way we've been working -- we're out-charging teams, outhitting teams, and outshooting teams. If we keep doing that we're going to win a lot of games."

  Green started the scoring at 9:14 of the first, completing a power-play rush with a backhand for his 13th goal. The Coyotes have five man-advantage goals in as many games.

  Laperriere tied the game by re-directing a shot from Marko Tuomainen at 14:36. Rookie defenseman Jere Karalahti picked up an assist on the play for his first career NHL point. He was recalled before the game to replace defenseman Aki Berg, who has a rib injury.

  Green broke the deadlock at 10:18 into the second with a hard wrist shot from the right circle that went through Fisset's pads for his third goal in his last four games.

  "We've been playing a little bit of up and down hockey so it was nice to come in here and get this win," Green said. "They (the Kings) work very hard and we knew we were in for a battle. It was a great game right down to the end. I thought we played a solid road game. It doesn't have to be fancy and it definitely wasn't."

  Phoenix played without captain Keith Tkachuck, who has back spasms and is day-to-day.

Summary

-------------------------------
Phoenix              1 1 0 1--3	 
Los Angeles          1 0 1 0--2	 
-------------------------------	 

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Phoenix, Green 13 (power play) (Adams,
Numminen), 9:14. 2, Los Angeles, Laperriere 4 (Tuomainen, Karalahti),
14:36. Penalties: Numminen, Pho (interference), 0:55; Roenick, Pho
(fighting major), 4:18; Bylsma, L.A. (fighting major), 4:18; Drake, Pho
(slashing), 5:38; L Barrie, L.A. (elbowing), 8:40; Debrusk, Pho
(unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:46; Roenick, Pho (fighting major), 17:25; L
Barrie, L.A. (fighting major), 17:25; Debrusk, Pho (roughing), 17:40;
Mckenna, L.A. (roughing), 17:40; Debrusk, Pho (roughing, fighting major),
19:47; Mckenna, L.A. (fighting major), 19:47.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 3, Phoenix, Green 14 (Numminen, Ylonen),
10:18. Penalties: Doan, Pho (fighting major), 2:40; Laperriere, L.A.
(fighting major), 2:40; Modry, L.A. (Obstr hooking), 5:17; Karalahti, L.A.
(Obstr holding), 19:37.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Los Angeles, Robitaille 12 (Stumpel,
Bylsma), 7:54. Penalties: Odonnell, L.A. (roughing), 9:34; Adams, Pho
(hooking), 14:44.

OVERTIME -- Scoring: 5, Phoenix, Roenick 18 (Lumme, Adams), 3:18. 

Shots on goal:
------------------------------------	 
Phoenix               6  9  8  3--26
Los Angeles          11 10 14  2--37
------------------------------------	 

Power-play Conversions: Pho - 1 of 4, Los - 0 of 5.  Goalies: Phoenix,
Essensa (37 shots, 35 saves; record: 12-3-1). Los Angeles, Fiset (26, 23;
record: 7-7-3).  A:18,118.  Referees: Leggo, Shick. Linesmen: Bonney,
Sharrers.

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