LA Kings
Kings Beat Avalanche 5-2, Extend Win Streak to Five
The Kings were outshot and out chanced in the first but went into the break up 2-0.
The Los Angeles Kings are rolling, winning their fifth straight game against the Colorado Avalanche in Thursday.
The five game win streak is the longest of the season for Los Angeles and has them tied atop the Pacific Division with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kings didn't register their first shot in the game until over eight minutes in.
But they made that shot count.
A missed pinch from Cale Makar sent Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe on a two-on-one. Kopitar showed good patience, waiting out Devon Toews and sliding the puck across to Kempe who buried his 31st of the season on the one-timer.
The Avalanche continued to control the puck for most of the period, but found themselves down 2-0 late in the period.
After a nice forecheck from Quinton Byfield that saw Kopitar engaged in a board battle with possession. The Kings' captain fed Gabe Vilardi at the bottom of the left faceoff circle and Vilardi wired a wrist shot over Alexander Gerogiev short side.
The Kings were outshot and out chanced in the first but went into the break up 2-0.
In the second, the Kings starting getting more pucks on net and were able to control more of the puck.
They outshot the Avalanche in the second, but like the first, the team with more shots didn't win the period.
Evan Rodrigues tipped a point shot past Joonas Korpisalo for the only goal of the period.
The biggest moment from the period was Kevin Fiala going knee-on-knee with Andrew Cogliano.
The second game in a row a Kings player has been hurt off accidental contact in a dangerous area. Fiala didn't return in the second.
The Kings started the third period hot. They regained the two goal lead 24 seconds in on Kempe's second of the night.
Vladislav Gavrikov's shot from the left faceoff circle bounced off a few bodies and ended up on Kempe's stick in front. Kempe put a turnaround backhand on net that squeaked by Georgiev.
Not long after, Nathan MacKinnon got cut the lead back to one. On the power play, MacKinnon received the puck at the top of the right faceoff circle and had space to walk in. After a few steps, he blew a wrist shot past Korpisalo over the glove.
The Kings immediately hit back 15 seconds later. Phil Danault tipped a Jordan Spence point shot home after winning a faceoff.
Fiala also returned to the ice and grabbed a secondary on the goal. But had to leave down the tunnel again and did not return. There is no update on his health at this time.
Danault added his second of the game on the empty net with just under three minutes to go. As the Kings shut things down after going up two.
Korpsialo earned his second win as a Kings. And the team's top line continued its tear. Byfield, Kopitar and Kempe combining for six points.
The Kings return back home Saturday against the Nashville Predators.