The LA Kings picked up another point in overtime, but were unable to take advantage of favorable results around the Western Conference as they fell 4-3 in the shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday evening at Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings scored the only goal of the first period, coming inside the final minute of play, to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Forwards Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore connected off the rush to gain the offensive zone with possession, with Moore picking the puck off the wall in the corner. He spun and found forward Quinton Byfield in the slot, with the centerman cleanly beating Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson for the early lead.
Philadelphia struck back just 26 seconds into the second period, however, to knot the score at one on the first shift of the middle stanza. Attacking off the rush, 3-on-2, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen dropped the puck to Konecny between the circles, where the Flyers’ leading scorer fired past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper and in for his 25th goal of the season and a 1-1 scoreline.
Just 21 seconds later, the Kings restored their one-goal advantage as captain Anze Kopitar made it four straight games with the point, as he found the back of the net. Defenseman Brandt Clarke made a nice move into the slot and after his shot missed the net, the puck kicked off the endboards to Kopitar at the back post, where Kopitar buried his 11th goal of the season to put the hosts ahead 2-1.
The back-and-forth scoring continued, as the Flyers scored twice in just shy of three minutes to take their first lead of the game at 3-2.
The visitors tied the game on a scramble-play in the crease, with Kuemper ultimately knocking the puck over the line, with forward Noah Cates getting credit for the goal. Cates then had the primary assist on defenseman Travis Sanheim’s goal from the center point, as the shot evaded traffic in front, past Kuemper, who was without a stick, to put Philadelphia ahead 3-2 through 40 minutes of play.
With the Kings trailing in the third period, forward Artemi Panarin delivered on the power play to tie the game at three. At the end of the man advantage sequence, Panarin held the puck at the top of the left-hand circle, with Moore providing a screen in front of the net. Panarin shot near post and beat Ersson inside the pipe for his fourth goal as a member of the Kings, tying the game at three and forcing the game into overtime.
After neither team scored in what was a pretty uneventful overtime period, Philadelphia scored twice in the shootout, while the Kings were denied twice, to earn the Flyers the second point.
Hear from Kempe, Moore and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith after tonight’s defeat.
