Frolov is comfortable not being in the spotlight

It’s rare when an NHL player scores a career-high five points in the same game he reaches the 100-goal milestone. It’s odd when such a performance doesn’t attract a swarm of reporters immediately after the game.

But there sat Kings left wing Alexander Frolov, unlacing his skates after scoring two goals Tuesday night in a 9-2 victory over visiting Chicago. A few lockers away, the media had formed a three-deep semicircle around Ladislav Nagy, who also totaled five points but one-upped his linemate by scoring a hat trick.

That seemed perfectly OK to Frolov, a soft-spoken Russian who was the Kings’ first-round draft pick in 2000 and the 20th selection overall. He was more interested in reflecting on the team’s resurgence, anyway. After losing eight games in a row, Los Angeles has won three in a row.

“I think there are some really good, talented guys on our team, they just need to get more confident,” he said.

“Don’t make any stupid mistakes and work hard as a team and things will come.”

For their effort, the Kings earned a day off from practice Wednesday.

For one of the few times in the last month, the Kings won the goaltending matchup.

The Blackhawks pulled starter Nikolai Khabibulin after he gave up four goals on the Kings’ first nine shots. His replacement, Patrick Lalime, didn’t fare much better, giving up five goals on the final 17 shots.

“We got a lot of pucks to the net and I don’t think they had great goaltending,” Coach Marc Crawford said. “When you get a game where your goaltending is better than the other team’s goaltending, it’s always a big factor.”

Last week against San Jose, Crawford pulled Jason LaBarbera after he gave up two goals in the first eight minutes of a 3-2 loss. LaBarbera has bounced back, winning his last two starts, both against Chicago.

“It’s funny how it works,” LaBarbera said. “When things aren’t going well, the puck doesn’t hit you. Even if you don’t see them, they don’t hit you. Sometimes, when things are going well, you don’t see the puck coming and they hit you. . . . Last two games, the puck has been hitting me.”

After the Kings were outshot, 8-0, in the first four minutes against Chicago, it looked as if it could be a long night for LaBarbera and the defense.

“My head was spinning,” LaBarbera said. “I was thinking, ‘What the heck’s going on?’ ”

He said the Kings got a lift when defenseman Tom Preissing scored 68 seconds after Chicago had taken a 1-0 lead, and Nagy scored his first goal 13 seconds after the Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead.

“That makes a big difference when you do that because then it re-energizes the team,” LaBarbera said. “Everyone gets down after a goal.”

--

TONIGHT

vs. Columbus, 7:30, FSN West

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- Kings 15-24-2, Blue Jackets 18-16-6.

Record vs. Blue Jackets -- 0-2.

Update -- The Kings, who were five of seven on the power play against Chicago -- the first time they tallied five power-play goals in 11 seasons -- will face a Columbus team that scored five goals on its last 19 power plays entering Wednesday night’s game at Anaheim. The Blue Jackets began the four-game trip with only two wins in its last 11 games away from home.

dan.arritt@latimes.com