Vilardi, Kings strike late to knock off Panthers 5-4

Gabe Vilardi scored late in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Saturday night.

Trevor Moore and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and an assist, Rasmus Kupari and Blake Lizotte also scored and the Kings won for the third time in five games. Jonathan Quick made 32 saves.

Carter Verhaeghe scored twice, Ryan Lomberg and Eetu Luostarinen each had a goal and the Panthers lost in regulation for the fourth time in their past six games. Sergei Bobrovsky, who played in his 600th career game, allowed five goals on 39 shots.

Vilardi scored on a sharp-angle shot with 3:18 remaining, picking up his ninth goal and second game-winner of the season.

Luostarinen tied it 3-all just 18 seconds into the third period before Lizotte put the Kings back ahead with his second look on a breakaway at 2:40.

Verhaeghe then tied it 4-all at 5:04 for his third multi-goal game.

Arvidsson put Los Angeles in front 3-2 with 26 seconds left in the second after Florida unsuccessfully challenged goaltender interference by Matthew Tkachuk that led to his goal being waived off with 2:11 left in the period. The subsequent penalty for delay of game culminated in Arvidsson's third goal.

The action picked up in the second with three goals in a span of 52 seconds, with tallies by Kupari and Moore sandwiched around Verhaeghe's centering pass that went in off Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson.

Lomberg scored his second goal of the season to put the Panthers up 1-0 midway through the first period. He beat Quick with a wrist shot into the top corner from the right dot during a delayed penalty.

NOTES: Panthers forward Patric Hornqvist is day-to-day after sustaining an upper-body injury against San Jose on Thursday. … Kings F Quinton Byfield participated in a morning skate but missed his fifth straight game.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Play at Anaheim on Sunday to complete the Southern California back-to-back.

Kings: Host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.