The LA Kings were unable to make it two in a row coming out of the break, as they fell by a 5-2 final in Colorado, despite a good performance on Monday evening at Ball Arena.
Against the flow of play, Colorado opened the scoring just shy of the halfway mark of the first period. The Kings turned the puck over on the breakout, as Drew Doughty and Alex Turcotte were unable to connect, which set the Avalanche up with a chance from the slot. Forward Jack Drury’s shot went off the blocker of goaltender Anton Forsberg and in for his sixth goal of the season as the hosts opened up a 1-0 advantage.
The Kings equalized inside the first five minutes of the second period, as the power play converted for the second straight game. With just seconds remaining on their first man advantage of the evening. Forward Kevin Fiala worked his way in from the left side of the umbrella and used a shot pass towards the net, with forward Corey Perry getting a deflection on the way through the tie the game 1-1.
Colorado capitalized on one of its first sustained shifts in the offensive zone during the second period, restoring the lead for the hosts. Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin lost his stick, which put them at a disadvantage. Off a whirling shift by the Avalanche, the puck eventually fell to forward Martin Necas at the back post, where he tapped in the goal, his 19th of the season, for a 2-1 advantage.
Late in the second period, the Avalanche doubled their lead through forward Brock Nelson, as they took a two-goal lead through 40 minutes of play. After the Kings were unable to convert on a few looks offensively, Colorado came back the other way and Nelson scored his 15th goal of the season off the rush, top-shelf shot from the right-hand circle, to make it a 3-1 game in favor of Colorado.
Early in the third period, the Kings scored again on special teams to pull back within goal. As he picked up speed from his own zone, forward Joel Armia flew through the neutral zone in transition before a perfectly executed toe drag and shot from the slot beat Colorado goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood for make it 3-2. Armia’s shorthanded goal was his fourth of the season, moving him into sole possession of the NHL lead in that category.
Colorado added an empty-net goal inside the final two minutes of regulation from Nathan MacKinnon and a late goal from defenseman Cale Makar with 45 seconds remaining to bury a pair of insurance goals, bringing the game to a final score of 5-2.
Hear from Armia, forward Adrian Kempe and Head Coach Jim Hiller after tonight’s game.
