The LA Kings started a five-game roadtrip on a high note, as they skated to a 5-4 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday evening at Nationwide Arena.
After killing off an early double-minor penalty, Los Angeles opened the scoring midway through the opening period, as forward Scott Laughton made it two for two in his Kings career. Forward Alex Turcotte gained the offensive zone with possession and found defenseman Brian Dumoulin trailing the play. Dumoulin made a move to his left and shot towards the net, with Laughton getting a deflection on the way through, past Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves and in, for the early 1-0 advantage.
The Kings doubled their advantage with just over five minutes remaining in the opening period, as forward Artemi Panarin buried his second goal with the organization. Skating on an extended shift, Panarin connected with forward Samuel Helenius in the offensive zone, before he picked up the puck in the slot, spun onto his forehand and beat Greaves with a low shot on the blocker side for the 2-0 lead.
Columbus got one back late in the first period, moving to within 2-1 at the first intermission. The Blue Jackets controlled possession with a good offensive-zone shift and eventually worked the puck around the outside, to defenseman Ivan Provorov at the point. Provorov’s shot was blocked down in front but forward Sean Monahan swept it to forward Conor Garland at the back post, where he scored his first goal with the organization to pull his team back within one.
The Blue Jackets tied the game at two midway through the second period, with defenseman Denton Mateychuk leveling the score. Operating down the right wing, Mateychuk put the puck towards the net softly and it made its way through traffic in front, past Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg and in for the game-tying goal, Mateychuk’s tenth of the season.
The hosts then made it three unanswered goals to take their first lead of the game. Kings defenseman Drew Doughty lost control of the puck at the left point and Columbus quickly went the other way, 2-on-1. Garland kept the puck himself down the right wing and placed his shot inside the far post, past Forsberg and in for his second goal of the game and a 3-2 lead for the Blue Jackets.
Less than two minutes later, the Kings responded with a strong shift from the top line to tie the game at three. With Dumoulin and defenseman Cody Ceci active offensively, the Kings attacked as a five-man unit, resulting in a shot from the point by Dumoulin, which was kept out by Greaves, though the rebound fell directly to forward Adrian Kempe, who buried from close range to knot the score at three goals apiece.
Dumoulin turned his multi-point game into a three-point game as he scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period to put the visitors ahead 4-3. Moving in from the left-point, Dumoulin dragged the puck onto his forehand, around a Columbus defenseman and beat Greaves clean with a wrist shot from the slot for a highlight-reel goal, his second of the season, to put the Kings up by a goal.
The hosts came back to tie the game late, however, with forward Kirill Marchenko burying his team-leading 24th goal of the season to force things into overtime. Marchenko took a cross-ice feed from defenseman Zach Werenski and moved into the left-hand circle, where he fired top shelf on the glove side, past Forsberg and in, to earn both teams a point as the game progressed into overtime.
Skating 3-on-3, Kempe buried his second goal of the game to give the Kings the second point. Panarin collected the puck along the right wing and found Kempe, with speed, attacking down the far side of the ice. Kempe took the feed in stride, gained a step and unloaded a slapshot from the left side that hit the back of the net to earn the Kings the second point.
Hear from Kempe, Dumoulin and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith following today’s 5-4 victory.
