Kings break overtime record, get critical win over Maple Leafs

LOS ANGELES — It may have taken the Los Angeles Kings less than two minutes to save their season, in an all-important 7-6, OT win over Toronto at Crypto.Com arena, as they continue to fight for the final wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

They trailed the Maple Leafs 4-3 in the third period, when they erupted for three critical goals in those two minutes.

In the blink of an eye, Adrian Kempe tied it up at four, with his second goal of the game and 32nd of the season.

28 seconds later, Samuel Helenius scored just his fifth of the season, on a feed from Taylor Ward. 

Bing, bang, boom, less than a minute later, they continued the flurry when Alex Laferriere’s 19th of the year suddenly gave them a two-goal lead. 

“We said going into the third, stick with it,” said Kempe. “We’re gonna get scoring chances.”

Although as soon as they earned the lead, they gave right back, resulting in a third straight Overtime game on home ice. By doing so, the Kings broke the team record for the most Overtime games in an NHL season. 

In OT, Quinton Byfield scored his second goal of the game, and 20th of the year, to get the win. 

Even with the victory, if there was a diagnosis tape for everything that’s gone wrong for the Kings’ season, it would be their performance against Toronto in Saturday’s late matinee. Their special teams proved why they are bottom five in the league in both Penalty Kill and Power Play. 

“We’re gonna take the two points, and just throw the tape away, and move on to the next one,” coach D.J Smith said after the rollercoaster win.

Once again, the Kings dug themselves a big-time early hole, trailing 2-0 after the first period. 

“We have to be more engaged in the starts,” Kempe added. I think we’re a little passive when we come out there.”

They assisted in their own misery when Anze Kopitar turned the puck over in his own zone on the Power Play, leading to a Steven Lorentz shorthanded score for Toronto.

It wasn’t like the home team didn’t have it’s chances. Laferriere watched a shot ring off the left post early in the game. Then, they didn’t convert on a four-minute man advantage ending the first, and heading into the second period.

That’s when things started to turn around. Byfield got the scoring started just 90 seconds into period number two. Then, a few minutes later, the Kings would get even, with Kempe scoring. In an instant, the game was tied 2-2. 

It was 3-3, with just 13 seconds remaining in the second period until Toronto scored on the power play, with Easton Cowan taking the lead for the Leafs.

That’s when the madness of the third period ensued. A combined 10 goals would be scored in the second and third period. 

In the end, the Kings do their part to keep their playoff hopes very much alive, as they get ready for another monster contest with Nashville.

“We’ve got ourselves another playoff game Monday night,” coach Smith said.