LA picked up a much-needed two points on Thursday night by defeating Ottawa 4-3 in overtime, improving to 2-0-1 on their current homestand.
The Kings looked disconnected early on. Passes weren’t connecting and they had several defensive breakdowns. If it weren’t for Cam Talbot, it could’ve easily been 3-0 in the Senators favor after the first period instead of just 1-0.
Despite adding a goal in the second period, the Kings found themselves down 2-1 entering the final frame of regulation. As the third period moved along, the Kings took their first lead of the night by scoring twice, the latter of which was the first career NHL goal for Jacob Moverare.
Fresh off of signing a new two-year contract, and having that stand as the game winning goal was too good to be true.
Ottawa scored with under five minutes to play in regulation to tie the game, which meant that LA went beyond regulation for the second straight contest.
With one point already in the bag, red hot forward Kevin Fiala scored his 20th goal of the season, securing the extra point for his Kings teammates.
The goal also marked Fiala’s third overtime goal with the Kings, which are the most among all LA players since he joined the team last season.
FIALA CALLS GAME
@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/crFhQGW74X
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) March 8, 2024
Byfield Boom: With his goal vs. Ottawa, Byfield is now one goal away from tying Jake Neighbours (20) for second-most goals among players aged 21 years or younger. Byfield’s 19 goals also tie Adrian Kempe for third-most goals this season (19) among Kings skaters. With the goal, Byfield also ties Vitali Yachmenev for the tenth-most goals scored by a Kings skater aged 21 years or younger in a single season (since 1983-1984 season).
Moverare Gets His First: How did the defenseman celebrate his new contract extension? By scoring his first NHL goal, of course. Moverare has looked very solid during his time with the Kings this season, even being thrust onto the top pairing with Drew Doughty as injuries have forced coach Jim Hiller’s hand.
FIRST NHL GOAL FOR JACOB MOVERARE@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/kHetIThaiZ
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) March 8, 2024
Coming From Behind: Thursday was the fifth time in Hiller’s brief tenure as LA’s bench boss where the Kings have won when trailing after two periods. LA has shown an ability to come on strong in the third, allowing them to ultimately have success even when they haven’t had the best of starts.
Lack of Power Plays: The Kings have only drawn two penalties over the past two games; PL Dubois’ goal on Thursday came on a delayed call. LA hasn’t played aggressive enough to force the other team to commit infractions recently, which is interesting given that a large share of the Kings offense typically comes on the man-advantage.
Stat Sheet Takeaways: LA and Ottawa combined for an eye-popping 44 hits on Thursday with LA accounting for 29 of them. The Kings being able to succeed in a highly-physical game is an encouraging sign during this time of year, as playoff hockey is just around the corner.
Two Games Left: The Kings have matchups with the Stars and Islanders remaining on their current homestand. Each game provides LA with a chance to continue to build the momentum they’ve built recently before heading back out on the road.
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