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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Kings have one game to play smarter or their season is over.
Sergei Fedorov and Tomas Holmstrom scored power-play goals on two high-sticking penalties against the Kings and the Detroit Red Wings won 2-1 Monday night.
|  | | Detroit goalie Chris Osgood and defenseman Chris Chelios make sure the Kings' Ziggy Palffy doesn't score. |
"There's a difference between being physical and doing some things that are unnecessary, and we did a couple things that were unnecessary," Kings coach Andy Murray said.
With Scotty Bowman behind the bench for his 99th playoff game as Detroit coach, the Red Wings took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 Western Conference first-round series. Game 4 is Wednesday at Staples Center.
The Kings have lost 11 consecutive playoff games since beating Montreal in Game 1 of the 1993 Stanley Cup finals. Only two NHL teams have rallied to win a series after trailing 3-0.
"You can say you want to be patient, but when you're down three games to none there's no real time to be patient anymore," said Kings captain Rob Blake, whose high-sticking penalty led to Detroit's first goal.
The Red Wings took their share of undisciplined penalties, only the Kings couldn't capitalize.
"Our problem is that our power play didn't make them pay," Murray said. "The best way to beat a team when they're trying to rough you up or taking bad penalties is to burn them on the power play, and we weren't very good at it."
After the run-and-gun style that ruled Detroit's 8-5 victory in Game 2, both teams returned to the tight-checking, low scoring that marked the Red Wings' 2-0 victory in Game 1.
"The last game was an aberration for both teams. I don't think either of us typically plays that way," said Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman, who was stopped twice in the final five minutes. "But Games 1 and 3 were much more like both teams would rather play."
Detroit's Chris Osgood made 21 saves in front of a sellout crowd of 18,118 that included numerous fans dressed in the Red Wings' red and white colors on a night when the Kings urged their fans to
dress in black.
"It feels good to be up 3-0, but it's sure been tough," Osgood said. "It doesn't feel like we're up 3-0 because it's been so difficult."
Stephane Fiset, peppered for five goals in less than two periods in the Game 2 loss, stopped 22 shots.
Since going 0-for-6 on the power play in Game 1, the Red Wings have scored five power-play goals. The Kings failed on all seven of their power-play opportunities, making them 0-for-16 in the series.
"If we don't score on our power play, we're not going to win games," Luc Robitaille said.
The Red Wings led 1-0 on Fedorov's 40th career playoff goal and second of the series at 5:21 of the first period when Detroit skated with a two-man advantage. Jozef Stumpel was penalized for roughing, then Blake was sent off for high-sticking on Holmstrom to set up Fedorov's goal that beat Fiset stick side.
"It's not often when you get the two-man advantage because it is a momentum swing," Bowman said. "It was a pretty hectic start and I give a lot of credit to Holmstrom in particular. He takes a lot, but he's a gritty player."
Los Angeles failed to capitalize on a double-minor assessed to Darren McCarty early in the second period.
With McCarty off for tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct, the Kings managed just one shot. Ziggy Palffy got ahead of Nicklas Lidstrom heading to the net, but his shot went straight into Osgood's pads.
"That's a game-winner," Blake said. "They scored on two of their power-play opportunities and go 0-for-7. That's pretty much the game."
The Red Wings led 2-0 on Holmstrom's power-play goal at 14:40 of the second. He redirected a slap shot inside the blue line by Lidstrom with Bryan Smolinski off for high-sticking. They were 2-for-6 on the power play in the game.
The Kings made it 2-1 when Robitaille scored his 49th career playoff goal and second of the series, beating Osgood between his pads at 2:35 of the third.
Brad Chartrand nearly tied it for the Kings 2½ minutes later, but Osgood collapsed on his left side to stop Chartrand's shot from close in.
Los Angeles had another excellent chance to tie with 7:23 remaining, but Craig Johnson, in front of Osgood, tipped a shot wide by teammate Ian Laperriere.
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NHL Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
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RECAPS
Ottawa 4
Toronto 3
Pittsburgh 4
Washington 3
Detroit 2
Los Angeles 1
Colorado 4
Phoenix 2
San Jose 2
St. Louis 1
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tomas Holmstrom redirects Nicklas Lidstrom's slap shot.
avi: 1000 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Luc Robitaille beats Chris Osgood for his second goal of the series.
avi: 861 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
The Red Wings strike first on this Sergei Fedorov goal.
avi: 933 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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