Kempe helps Kings defeat Senators

OTTAWA-- Adrian Kempe scored with 1:46 left in the third period and then ended the shootout to give the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday.

"I'm just trying to play my game and play the way the team plays," Kempe said. "I get more confidence after every game. That's good for me. I just try to skate as much as possible and create opportunities for my linemates and play the way the other guys want to."
Alec Martinez scored for the Kings (7-1-1). Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves and stopped Kyle Turris and Mark Stone in the shootout.
WATCH: [All Kings vs. Senators highlights]
Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson scored, and Mike Condon made 41 saves for the Senators (4-1-4).
Michael Cammalleri scored in the first round of the shootout before Kempe scored in the third. The rookie forward was on the ice when Thompson scored shorthanded at 6:36 of the third period to give the Senators a 2-1 lead.
"I think what we loved about his game tonight was we gave up a goal there, which was kind of deflating for us, and he almost had that look in the eye that he wanted to go out and make a difference," Stevens said. "He used his speed to turn the puck over. Then we called him in the shootout, he almost had that look like he wanted to be called in the shootout. You just love that in a player. Good for him."
Kempe tied the game 2-2 after Condon, trying to pass the puck to defenseman Johnny Oduya, turned over the puck behind the Ottawa net.

"It obviously should have been two points," Condon said. "It's a tough play behind the net. Johnny did a good job talking, he went back there. It's obviously not on him. He called reverse, which means the puck goes back the way it came. I just heard a friendly voice and I threw it that way. I don't even know who picked it up.
"That's on me. We practice that a lot. We practice our communication. That was just a mental mistake on my part. That's a tough way to lose a game."
Martinez gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 24 seconds into the first period after Kempe won a faceoff against Derick Brassard to Condon's right. The puck went back to Martinez, who moved toward the middle of the ice and scored his first goal of the season.
Phaneuf tied the game 1-1 at 6:09 of the first period when his slap shot with a rolling puck off the rush went in over Kuemper's right shoulder.

Goal of the game

Kempe said the key to his goal was hearing Oduya call for the puck, which allowed him to anticipate Condon's pass.

Save of the game

Kings captain Anze Kopitar had an open net at the left post with 1:13 left in overtime, but Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson knocked the puck away.

Highlight of the game

Kempe ended the game with a fake to his backhand and then lifted a forehand to the stick side.
"If I keep scoring on that one, it's going to be my first move," Kempe said. "Sometimes you've got [to] read the goalie and know what he's good at too. It worked today, so I was happy with that."

They said it

"I thought we played much better tonight. I thought we had really good energy and I thought our compete on the puck in all three zones was a lot better tonight. In a back-to-back situation, I thought we got really good contributions from everybody. I thought it was a really solid team effort that stuck with it for 65 minutes." -- Kings coach John Stevens
"So watch the tape, learn from it, use it as a motivator, probably do another 1,000 reps now. I guess 200 isn't enough." -- Senators goaltender Mike Condon on practicing puck handling

Need to know

Senators forward Bobby Ryan missed the game with a fractured finger sustained Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa used 11 forwards and seven defensemen. ... Los Angeles lost to the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Monday.

What's next

Kings: At the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, FS-W, NHL.TV)
Senators: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, NBCSP, NHL.TV)