The Kings extended their point streak to seven games on Wednesday night and did so in comeback fashion. Closing out their extended six-game home stand with a 4-0-2 record, the Kings fell 3-2 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks.
It wasn’t a strong first 40 minutes for the Kings as they totaled just 13 shots, went 0-for-2 on the power play and surrendered a goal in each of the first two periods. The Canucks opened the scoring 9:56 into the game when Nils Hoglander received a breakout pass in his own defensive zone from former King Derek Forbort, went they length of the ice, cut across the Kings slot and rifled a shot far-side past the glove of David Rittich for his fifth goal of the season. The visitors then doubled their lead with 6:53 to go in the second period on the power play. Coming in the ladder half of the man advantage, the recently acquired Filip Chytil circled the Kings net and found an open Conor Garland for the weak-side tap in.
Enter period three and the Kings offense came to life. Cutting the deficit in half with 10:44 remaining in regulation was no other than the Kings leading goalscorer Adrian Kempe, who potted his 26th tally of the season with a perfectly placed wrist shot moments after crossing into the Canucks zone. The Kings then evened the score at deuce’s with 5:59 to go when the defensive pair of Jacob Moverare and Jordan Spence each factored in on a net front Warren Foegele tip-in goal. Foegele’s goal was his 16th of the season. With no offense following from either team in the remainder of regulation, the Kings and Canucks each picked up a point and went to overtime.
The Kings earned themselves a golden opportunity in overtime after Kevin Fiala was tripped on a sharply angled contested breakaway. Given a 4-on-3 for two minutes, the Kings failed to convert with their best chance being a Kempe one-timer that got through the five hole of Kevin Lankinen, but went through the crease and was cleared away from danger by the Canucks. Netting the game-winning goal for the Canucks was Garland, who beat Rittich for the second time in the game, this one coming on a shot that went short-side high blocker.
Rittich stopped 14 shots on the night.
The Kings will now head to the central time zone for a three-game road trip, kicking off a string of five consecutive contests against Central Division opponents, of which only one is against a current playoff occupant.
