RECAP: Kings beat Avalanche, keep pace in playoff chase

Alec Martinez scored the tiebreaking goal, Marian Gaborik added his 26th goal and the Los Angeles Kings kept pace in the playoff hunt with a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.

Dwight King also scored and Jonathan Quick made nine saves for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have won five of seven to stay even with Winnipeg for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Ryan O'Reilly scored for the Avalanche, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier Saturday when Winnipeg beat Vancouver. Colorado has lost three of four.

Wins by the Jets and the Kings kept the clubs even at 92 points apiece with four games to play, but the Kings hold the tiebreaker edge in non-shootout victories.

Los Angeles also is pursuing Calgary, which began the night with a one-point lead on the Kings for third place in the Pacific Division. The Kings have a game in hand on the Flames, and the teams meet Thursday in Calgary.

Semyon Varlamov stopped 23 shots for the Avalanche, whose 10 shots tied a franchise-record low for a Kings opponent. Colorado managed just five shots in the first 38 minutes and only three in the third period despite pressing for a tying goal before Gaborik's score with 1:56 to play.

Jeff Carter and Robyn Regehr had two assists apiece for the Kings. Los Angeles gave a strong defensive effort in its fifth consecutive victory over the Avalanche, sweeping the three-game season series.

King put Los Angeles ahead in the first period, scoring his 12th goal on a rebound of Jeff Carter's shot.

Colorado tied it in the second when Quick failed to glove Gabriel Landeskog's long shot, allowing it to flop behind him into the crease for O'Reilly's 16th goal.

Martinez actually put the puck in the net twice while scoring his tiebreaking goal later in the period, ending his 13-game goal drought since Jan. 17 in unique fashion.

Martinez's first shot from the slot ricocheted in and out of Varlamov's net. Although Martinez began to celebrate, he also noticed everyone was still playing - so the Kings' Stanley Cup playoff hero controlled the rebound and put it in to leave no doubt about his sixth goal.

"The first one I thought was in, but the referee was shaking his head," Martinez said. "So I put the second one in for good measure."

After Gaborik scored on a nasty wrist shot, the Avalanche didn't get close to an answer.

NOTES: The Kings also allowed just 10 shots by San Jose on Jan. 11, 1994. ... Colorado has missed the postseason four times in the past five seasons, and hasn't won a playoff round since 2008. ... Regehr has a two-game points streak for just the second time since Feb. 2011. ... Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and Drew Barrymore attended the game.