Kings Top Blue Jackets 6-4 To Remain Unbeaten In Regulation
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Anze Kopitar broke a tie with 2:14 left with his second goal of the game and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-4 on Saturday night to remain the only NHL team unbeaten in regulation.
At 6-0-1, Los Angeles is off to the best start in franchise history.
Kopitar also had an assist, Dustin Brown added a goal and three assists, and Jake Muzzin had a goal and two assists. Trevor Lewis, Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings, and Jonathan Quick stopped 32 shots.
Nick Foligno, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matt Calvert and Sonny Milano scored for Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.
Columbus got the scoring started after Adrian Kempe's tripping penalty, which led to Foligno's power-play goal at 5:43 of the first period. It was Columbus' first goal with a man advantage after going 0 for 18 in its last six games.
The Kings struck back at 6:51 on Kopitar's fifth goal of the season. Kopitar took the pass at the front of the net from a cornered Brown.
The Kings took the lead 42 seconds later when Lewis went top shelf with a backhander over Bobrovsky.
Bjorkstrand tied it, burying a rebound from David Savard past Quick at 8:00, and Columbus made it 3-2 at 14:02 when Calvert corralled a bouncing puck that had been manhandled toward the net by Jack Johnson and Josh Anderson.
Muzzin tied it again when he went over Bobrovsky's left shoulder 40 seconds into the second period.
The Kings took the lead just over three minutes later when Doughty's shot from the left end of the blue line caught Bobrovsky off guard.
The Jackets again battled back, as Milano broke free just inside the blue line and took the puck in unassisted with 4:45 left in the second.
The score remained deadlocked until Kopitar beat Bobrovsky late iun the third.
Brown added an empty-net goal.
Notes: The Kings played their first game without center Jeff Carter. He's out indefinitely after being cut by a skate Wednesday. He had surgery on his left leg Thursday. ... The game was the Kings' first game outside of California this season. ... Columbus forward Boone Jenner played in his first game of the season. He missed the preseason and first seven games with a middle-body injury.
UP NEXT:
Kings: At Toronto on Monday night.
Blue Jackets: Host Buffalo on Wednesday night.
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