LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Keith Tkachuk stopped his scoring slump and settled his differences with coach Bob Francis.

Tkachuk's first game-winning goal of the season gave the Phoenix Coyotes a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

	Phoenix's Trevor Letowski, left, trips Los Angeles' Craig Johnson as Coyotes goaltender Bob Essensa tries to protect the net.

Tkachuk scored with 13:53 to play, one-timing a pass from Jeremy Roenick to beat Jamie Storr with a 25-footer, his sixth goal on 65 shots.

The All-Star left wing's slump perplexed Francis. His clutch goal helped lift an underlying current of tension that existed between Tkachuk and his coach.

"We had a good talk yesterday -- and I was relieved that he actually talked to me, so that made me feel better," Tkachuk said.

"He just told me to relax and stop putting pressure on myself -- because that's what I've been doing ever since I got into the league. I strive to be the best."

"I just got into a position where Jeremy always finds me, in the high slot, and he gave me a great pass. All I had to do was wind up and put it in."

The puck originally was heading to the left point, where Phoenix defenseman Keith Carney was anticipating it. But Roenick intercepted it at the top of the circle and Tkachuk regained the lead for the Coyotes.

"I yelled at Keith Carney to get out of the way," Roenick said. "He saw me coming and he backed off. Keith and I like that play a lot. He just missed a couple of times this year on it, but he made no mistake on it tonight, that's for sure."

Mike Sullivan ended a 60-game drought with a short-handed goal against Storr, who started his fifth straight game for the Kings in place of Stephane Fiset. Fiset is sidelined by a bruised right hand.

"Tkachuk was in close enough and he shot it hard enough," said Storr, whose record dropped to 5-1-1. "He got lucky where it was placed - just under my glove and over my pad. But he's scored 40 goals a season, and that's why."

Trevor Letowski also scored for the Coyotes, and Bob Essensa made 29 saves. Essensa was particularly brilliant in the third period, stopping all 15 shots he faced.

"I didn't know where every shot was going, but certainly I got a few breaks," Essensa said. "You need a few breaks to pull out victories -- especially on the road against a quality club like L.A. has."

Aki Berg and Donald Audette scored and Glen Murray had two assists for the Kings, who lost for only the second time in 12 games (8-2-2).

"To beat the hottest team in the league, especially in their building, it was a big win for us -- particularly after the funk we've been in," Roenick said.

Audette put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 at 3:42 of the second period, but the Coyotes tied it at 11:24 when J.J. Daigneault hit the right post with a 55-foot slap shot, and Letowski converted the rebound.

Berg's third NHL goal and second against Phoenix ended a 91-game drought for the fourth-year defenseman, dating back to April 5, 1997.