Give-and-Take for Avery, Kings

Sean Avery’s fingerprints -- and elbows -- were all over this one.

Avery scored two goals and careened passionately around the ice, helping the Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday at Staples Center. Avery also took three penalties, two in the third period that helped the Blue Jackets erase a 2-0 lead and almost steal the game.

Basically, Avery giveth and Avery nearly taketh away.

All was forgiven, mostly, when Michael Cammalleri buried a rebound for a power-play goal that broke a 2-2 tie 14 minutes 5 seconds into the third period. That gave the Kings their fourth consecutive victory and pointed them in a positive direction heading into a four-game trip that will take them to Minnesota, Detroit, St. Louis and San Jose.

Still, there was a tinge of concern.

“It’s good that we found a way to win this game,” assistant captain Luc Robitaille said. But, he added, “We can’t afford to take that many penalties in the third period as a team. These games are huge, and we just have to be a little smarter.”

The Kings took three penalties in the third period. Avery, who leads the NHL with 206 penalty minutes, had two. His two-minute penalty for roughing set up Nikolai Zherdev’s second goal that tied the score, 2-2, 4:35 into the third period.

Avery’s second penalty in the period seemed more about a vendetta.

He barreled into Duvie Westcott and was called for high sticking. Avery disputed the call and jawed at officials as he skated off after the game, though he would not talk about it with the media afterward.

Westcott had plenty to say.

“He tried to run me five or six times, and he ended up on his back every time,” Westcott said.

The two have history, as it was Avery whom Westcott brawled with in his first NHL fight. Told about Westcott’s comment Saturday, Avery said, “I got two goals today, what did he do? I think he was on the ice for both. If that little ... wants to fight me, I’ll meet him anytime.”

Westcott, actually, wasn’t on the ice for either of Avery’s goals.

But, then, Avery wasn’t on the ice as the Blue Jackets pressed after he gave them a power play for the final 1:20.

The Kings survived, with goaltender Mathieu Garon (24 saves) deflecting the only shot the Blue Jackets got off in the final minute.

“The kid is intense, and you don’t want to take that away from him,” Robitaille said of Avery. “Some nights we need his physicality and some nights we need what he gave us tonight.”

That the Kings had a 2-0 lead going into the third period was the result of Avery’s first multi-goal game of his NHL career.

Avery scored a short-handed goal, stripping the puck from Adam Foote at the blue line -- it appeared on television replays that he had tackled Foote to the ice -- and charging up ice to give the Kings a 1-0 lead 13:11 into the second period.

“[Jeremy Roenick] and I did a nice two-on-one,” Avery said. “He did a great job getting up ice, and that left me open.”

Foote saw things from a different angle, saying a penalty should have been called.

“I just don’t think I’m going to fall down on a play like that,” Foote said. “I don’t fall down on my own.”

Avery scored again on a textbook three-on-two, burying a slick pass from Tom Kostopoulos for a 2-0 lead 16 minutes into the second period.

“Maybe we can ask him to be a little more careful late in games,” assistant captain Aaron Miller said.

“But when he gives us what he did tonight, two goals and some hard play, then it is our job to kill a penalty for him.”