The LA Kings picked up their first home win of the season, as they overcame four third period goals against to earn a 6-5 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday evening to open up a seven-game homestand.
The visitors opened an eventful night with the first goal of the game. The Senators controlled possession in the offensive zone and defenseman Tyler Klevan activated in from the point. Klevan collected the pass from forward Fabian Zettterlund, worked his way into the slot and beat goaltender Darcy Kuemper with a shot from between the circles, putting the visitors ahead 1-0.
Skating on their first power play of the game, the Kings tied the game at one late in the opening period. With the second unit on the ice, the Kings used a simple, direct formula to equalize. Defenseman Brandt Clarke got a shot through from the point, with forward Erik Haula stationed in the high slot. Haula got a deflection on the puck, sending it past Ottawa goaltender Jonas Johansson and in for a 1-1 game through 20 minutes.
The Kings exploded for four goals in the second period, opening up a 5-1 advantage through 40 minutes of play.
First, forwards Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore combined on a goal to snap a long scoring drought for both players. Working off the wall, Byfield threaded a pass through on the backhand, with Moore driving the net to deflect home the go-ahead goal for a 2-1 lead. Moore’s goal was his first since Opening Night, while Byfield’s point was his first since the second game of the season.
In a span of just 37 seconds, Los Angeles opened up a three-goal lead with two goals in quick succession. Defenseman Mikey Anderson buried his second goal in three games, as his shot from the left point evaded a screen by forward Corey Perry in front, putting the Kings ahead by a pair. On the next shift, forward Joel Armia snapped a scoring drought of his own, as he scored from distance to make it a 4-1 game.
With a two-man advantage, the Kings scored their second power-play goal of the evening late in the middle stanza, with forward Artemi Panarin capitalizing on a 5-on-3. After the Kings had already hit the post twice on the sequence, Panarin was patient and precise up top, working his way into the circles before he buried his team-leading eighth goal of the season for a 5-1 lead through two periods.
Ottawa struck back with two goals of its own, however, cutting the Kings’ lead to 5-3 midway through the third period. First, after the Kings couldn’t clear their zone up the left-wing boards, Senators forward Dylan Cozens shook loose in the slot, where he buried a pass from forward Tim Stutzle to make it 5-2. Just 33 seconds later, the visitors pulled within a pair, as forward Drake Batherson scored his eighth goal of the season.
The visitors pulled to within a goal just inside eight minutes to play, converting on the power play to make it a 5-4 game. Forward Tim Stutzle worked the puck towards the net and as it looked like the Kings tried to get the puck underneath goaltender Darcy Kuemper, it trickled through the crease and Cozens was on hand to bury his second goal of the night, as the Senators pulled to within a goal.
With the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker, Ottawa completed the comeback to force the game into overtime. With the Senators skating 6-on-5, Batherson worked the puck to the front of the net, with forward Shane Pinto stationed in front. Pinto got a deflection on the way through, past Kuemper and in, as the visitors made it four unanswered goals to tie the game at five.
Skating 3-on-3, the Kings were able to secure the second point, collecting their first home victory of the season. As the Kings turned over a shift in the offensive zone, defenseman Drew Doughty maintained possession on the puck out at the right point. Doughty then fed Byfield coming off the bench, skating through the slot, where he buried his second goal of the season to seal a 6-5 overtime victory.
Hear from Doughty, Byfield and Head Coach Peter Laviolette following tonight’s win.
