Iafallo caps Kings' rally to beat Sabres 3-2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Iafallo scored with 6:19 to play and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Sunday.
Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, Carl Grundstrom scored and the Kings won consecutive games for the first time this season. Jonathan Quick made 22 saves.
Rasmus Asplund and Victor Olofsson each scored for the Sabres, which lost to a Western Conference team for the first time in four games. Dustin Tokarski stopped 31 shots.
Iafallo buried Tobias Bjornfot's clever pass to the edge of the crease to give the Kings the lead at 13:41, extending his point streak to three games (three goals, two assists).
Kopitar scored six seconds into a power play to tie it at 2 at 4:50 of the third period. It was his 100th career power-play goal.
Buffalo led 2-0 at 7:39 of the second period when Olofsson scored on a wrist shot off a 2-on-1 rush. Grundstrom repsonded with his second goal — off his own rebound — to pull within 2-1 at 8:39.
The Sabres' first shorthanded goal of the season put them up 1-0 3:07 into the second period. Asplund intercepted Arthur Kaliyev's weak pass to break the other way and score for the third time in two games.
COVID-19 ABSENCES
Kings F Viktor Arvidsson was a late scratch after he and F Gabe Vilardi were placed in COVID-19 protocol Sunday. Arvidsson participated in warmups before being pulled from the lineup.
Vilardi did not play against Montreal on Saturday, with coach Todd McLellan saying afterwards that he was a healthy scratch.
With Buffalo set to face San Jose on Tuesday — and seven Sharks players and coach Bob Boughner are in the protocol — Sabres coach Don Granato said that situation served as a reminder to remain cautious, not knowing how prescient his remarks would be less than two hours later.
"It is in the back of your mind, and it's exactly what you think of when you see teams lose players," Granato said. "You feel for teams like that because there's such a randomness to it. It could happen anywhere."
