LOS ANGELES –– The Kings upheld the old adage that you can’t win a hockey game in the first period Saturday, bombarding the Arizona Coyotes with five opening-frame goals before allowing them to send the game to a shootout, where the Kings finally prevailed 6-5.
Top scorer Kevin Fiala spearheaded the offensive with two goals and an assist. Centers Anze Kopitar and Blake Lizotte each contributed a goal and an assist. Defenseman Matt Roy also notched a goal. Jonathan Quick got the nod in net, earning his second victory in as many nights after going winless for more than two months.
Winger Clayton Keller tallied twice for Arizona. Defenseman Josh Brown, center Travis Boyd and winger Christian Fischer potted a goal apiece. Brown and Boyd both added an assist and rookie Matias Maccelli had two. Karel Vejmelka didn’t last through the opening 20 minutes, making just nine of 14 saves before giving way to Connor Ingram, whose spotless effort in relief extended Arizona’s points streak to eight games (4-0-4).
Winger Adrian Kempe did not extend his four-game goal streak in regulation but he and Gabe Vilardi both connected in the shootout to finally secure two points.
The Kings nearly averted overtime, drawing a late penalty, sustaining heavy pressure and even striking the post with a Fiala shot as the regulation buzzer loomed. With 2:59 to play in the extra session, they went back to the man advantage, spending the full two minutes in Arizona’s zone but failing to score.
Arizona struck twice in 44 seconds, beginning at the 7:06 mark of the third period. Two cross-ice passes allowed Boyd to score from the right faceoff dot after Kopitar nearly converted shorthanded and just as a Kings penalty had expired. Then Fischer came up with a point-blank equalizer off a rebound.
A mere 37 seconds into the final stretch, Keller had made it a double with a goal in transition. He skated the puck down in space and zoomed in on Quick while stickhandling with fervor. Keller got…
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