Los Angeles wrapped up their visit to Toronto in style, rallying from an early deficit to edge out the home team in overtime. For the local Maple Leafs faithful, it was a narrative that likely sounded way too familiar given the Dodgers recent dismantling of the Blue Jays.
For the Kings, it was a successful trip to Scotiabank Arena — their only visit of the season, and captain Anze Kopitar’s last-ever stop at the famed Canadian building. With a 4-3 victory on the night, LA has reached the midpoint of their six-game road trip and remain a perfect 3-0-0 thus far.
The Leafs started strong enough, nearly doubling the Kings in faceoff wins and setting the tone early. Bobby McMann took advantage of a turnover near the blue line, racing in alone to open the scoring. Not long after, John Tavares made it 2-0 in favor of the Leafs, and Toronto was in full control heading into the second period.
But coach Jim Hiller’s squad didn’t back down. Goalie Darcy Kuemper kept LA in the game with a huge save on a Toronto power play. That stop proved crucial too, as Warren Foegele soon put the Kings on the board, and Kevin Fiala followed it up to tie things at 2-2. Tavares answered back with his second goal of the night, putting the Leafs ahead once more.
In the third period, LA turned up the pressure, dominating shots and puck possession. Alex Laferriere tipped in a Brandt Clarke shot to tie the game once again, eventually sending things to overtime. Playing past 60-minutes has been a strong suit for Hiller and the Kings this season -—they’ve also now earned points in five games after trailing by two, tying Dallas for the league lead.
Quinton Byfield channeled his inner Will Smith – no, not the Fresh Prince, but the Dodgers clutch catcher — by stepping up in overtime and playing hero for LA. He slammed the door on Toronto’s hopes, dropped the mic, and reminded everyone that this year’s Kings team seems capable of going the extra mile (and then some) to win games — even if it takes a Hollywood ending.
Key Takeaways:
– Foegele, Fiala, Byfield: all have scored in back-to -back games
– Byfield now has back-to-back multi-point games
– Kings dominated 5v5 play with a 28-13 shot margin
– LA’s penalty kill continues to be strong of late
– Kings at nine games in a row with a point on the road, bringing their road record to 8-1-2 on the season
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
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