“The Kings had a lot of chances in the third period,” Evans said. “They got a lot of pucks to the net, but it wasn’t until that last part there that I think they led everybody to believe there was a chance they could tie things up. Getting the first penalty, the power play, I think at that point I felt there was a legitimate chance.

“The Kings’ power play already connected once in the game. They had some momentum going and I thought that would be an opportunity for them. I didn’t expect to see another penalty just shortly thereafter. Once they scored that first goal, it’s so important the shift after a goal, whether you’ve scored on or whether you’re the team that scores, the Kings took advantage of that moment. It’s definitely one of those ones.

“It happens so quick. When you scored that first one, everyone says, ‘Oh, it looks like we’re going to go to overtime.’ You blink your eyes and sit in your seat again and all of a sudden it’s, ‘Well, now we’ve got hang onto this one.’ It was a great comeback. Good to be on the right end of it. I’m sure there are some other ones. The thing you have to look upon is the way it sways a series.

“As an individual game, that’s one big impact. But take a look at this one. If San Jose hangs on and wins that game, it’s 1-1 now (in the series). All of a sudden, it’s a whole different series. It’s a three out five. But it was a little bit of reflection. Look back a couple of years ago when San Jose came back from four goals down at Staples Center and beat the Kings at that time.”

Tanner Pearson, a rookie who has yet to play in an NHL game, skated on the Kings’ fourth line with Brad Richardson and Colin Fraser during the morning skate. It also appeared defenseman Keaton Ellerby would replace Alec Martinez for Game 3.

For the Sharks, Martin Havlat told Sharks coach Todd McLellan he was ready to play after sitting out because of an injury. Havlat could give the Sharks a boost after Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of the series for his hit on the Kings’ Jarret Stoll in Game 1.

Meanwhile, the league announced it fined the Sharks $100,000 for comments made Friday by San Jose general manager Doug Wilson about Torres’ suspension. Wilson questioned the league’s decision to ban Torres for the rest of the series.

“It is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit,” Wilson said in a statement released by the club Friday. “As noted by the NHL, Raffi’s initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was gliding – not skating or charging.”

Stoll suffered a head injury and is sidelined indefinitely. Torres was suspended for the fourth time in his career, making him a repeat offender. Last season while playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, he drew a 25-game suspension for an illegal hit on Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks during the playoffs. It was later reduced to 21 games.

“It was a great comeback,” said Evans, a Kings radio analyst who knows a thing or two about comebacks as the man who scored the winning goal in overtime to cap “The Miracle,” a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers on April 10, 1982 at the Forum.

“When you look at comebacks, you get a better understanding of what the impact is if the team goes on to win the series. Going back to our series in ’82, it was a pivotal game in Game 3, coming back and winning in the fashion in which we did. We went on to win that series three games to two.

“Then going back to the “Frenzy on Figueroa” against Detroit (in Game 4 of a first-round series against the Red Wings in 2001), coming back and winning that game and then winning that series, it’s unbelievable. So, I think we’ll have a little better understanding in the next week or so.”

The Kings rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Red Wings 4-3 in OT and then went on to upset heavily favored Detroit to win the series 4-2.

brightcove.createExperiences();

Bedlam.

Trevor Lewis guided a long rebound into the net from the left wing with 1:21 remaining in what became an improbable 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Kings over the Sharks in the game and a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-7 series.

More bedlam.

The series shifts to San Jose for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Tuesday.

What looked like an almost certain loss and a deadlocked series as the final minutes ticked past for the Kings in Game 2 now looks like a commanding lead for the defending Stanley Cup champions. If nothing else, the Kings proved Thursday they are difficult to defeat.

“It’s huge, I guess,” Brown said of the rather large momentum swing after the Kings rallied from a 3-2 deficit to win with power-play goals only 22 seconds apart.

While some of his teammates appeared stunned by the remarkable turn of events, Brown said at his locker stall and spoke calmly and coolly about an electric comeback and a potentially series-altering victory after the Kings squandered a two-goal lead.

“It’s a roller-coaster, but again when you go through the experience of everything that we did last year and you try to keep your emotions in check,” Brown said. “There’s still a 1:30 left in the game after we take the lead. There’s still a lot of work to be done. Then you try to re-focus, individually and as a group, and calm the bench down and get ready to go.

“It’s finding a way to get the job done after that.”

Post-game crowds around Brown are commonplace during the season, and especially during the playoffs. It’s a rare day or night when reporters cluster around Lewis, who is better known for playing on the Kings’ third line and on their penalty-kill unit.

Lewis deflected credit for his first goal of the playoffs to rookie winger Tyler Toffoli, whose shot from the right wing caromed off Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi and landed on his stick on the left wing. Lewis also praised goalie Jonathan Quick for keeping the Kings in the game.

Lewis was not oblivious to his accomplishment, however.

“I almost passed out in celebration,” he said.

The frantic ending overshadowed an unsteady start and an even shakier middle, when the Kings squandered a 2-0 lead and were outplayed badly at times by the faster and more energetic Sharks. Marc-Edouard Vlasic put the Sharks into the lead at 8:56 of the final period.

Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty (power play) scored to give the Kings a two-goal lead, but the Sharks countered with goals from Patrick Marleau (power play) and Brad Stuart to tie the score late in the second period. Marleau ended Quick’s shutout streak at 125:08.

Brad Richardson, Kings coach Darryl Sutter’s pick to replace injured center Jarret Stoll for Game 2, set up Doughty’s goal with a deft backhand pass from the left wing to the right point. Richardson started the game playing between wingers Lewis and Dustin Penner.

San Jose coach Todd McLellan shifted center Scott Gomez to the second line from the third in the wake of a series-long suspension to Raffi Torres for his shoulder-to-head hit that injured Stoll in Game 1, and the move paid dividends. Gomez assists on the Stuart and Vlasic goals.

Vlasic put the Sharks ahead 3-2 with his first career playoff goal. He then put then in a bind when he was whistled for shooting the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty with 2:19 remaining. He followed Stuart to the penalty box after Stuart took a tripping penalty with 2:41 left.

Brown’s goal came off a goal-mouth scramble after Mike Richards’ perimeter shot with the Kings on a two-man advantage. Lewis’ score came off a rush down the ice with Toffoli leading the way with the Kings skating 5-on-4.

“We found a way,” Sutter said succinctly at game’s end.