Kopitar helps Kings rally past Avalanche
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings.Starved for goals before the break for the Olympics, the Los Angeles Kings offense came to life Wednesday in a 6-4 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center.
Anze Kopitar collected two goals and an assist, and Justin Williams scored into an empty net with 11.1 seconds remaining.
Kopitar scored a power-play goal, his second goal of the game, at 3:13 of the third period to give the Kings a 5-4 lead and complete a comeback from a 4-2 deficit.
Kopitar batted the puck out of the air and inside the right post after Jeff Carter deflected a shot by Tyler Toffoli with Avalanche defenseman Nick Holden serving a boarding penalty.
Holden was assessed the penalty 10 seconds after the Avalanche killed off an interference penalty taken by Cody Mcleod with 25.8 seconds left in the second period.
Kopitar and Carter scored 2:04 apart late in the second to tie the game 4-4.
Kopitar scored at 16:49 after his wraparound attempt went to Justin Williams in the slot. Williams passed back to Kopitar for a tap inside the left post.
Carter scored at 18:53 after Mike Richards carried the puck from the right corner to the faceoff circle. He shot the puck and Carter tipped it by goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who was screened on the play.
Jarret Stoll tied the game 2-2 for the Kings 24 seconds into the second period when he drove to the net ahead of Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie to convert a pass from Dustin Brown, who retrieved the puck after shooting wide on a breakaway.
The Avalanche went ahead 4-2 on power-play goals by Jamie McGinn and Andre Benoit.
McGinn skated down the slot and redirected Ryan O'Reilly's pass behind Kings goalie Martin Jones at 8:57. The rebound off Nathan MacKinnon's shot hit Benoit and bounced into the net at 15:42.
O'Reilly and PA Parenteau scored goals 5:15 apart in the first period to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead.
Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr opened the scoring at 5:48 with a shot from the left point. All three of Regehr's goals this season have come in the past three games.
O'Reilly shot the puck off the left post shortly after Regehr scored and he tied the game with a power-play goal at 11:17 with Regehr in the penalty box for cross-checking MacKinnon.
Holden was between the faceoff circles when he passed to O'Reilly skating through the goalmouth. O'Reilly lifted the puck over Jones' right arm for his 22nd goal, tying MacKinnon for the team lead.
Parenteau broke the 1-1 tie at 16:32. Matt Duchene skated away from Kings forward Tanner Pearson, came from behind the net and slid the puck through the slot for a chip shot by Jones.
Avalanche left wing Maxime Talbot was scratched because his fiancee went into labor with their first child earlier Wednesday. Defenseman Cory Sarich dressed as the seventh defenseman.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
27/02/2014 - 07:00
