The Tampa Bay Lightning started the game on time and on the attack, but were unable to sustain it as the Los Angeles Kings registered a comeback win 3-2 at Staples Center last night. The defending Stanley Cup champions are in the midst of their patented late season run. The victory over the Lightning was their fifth in a row.
The Bolts scored the first goal in the opening period on defenseman Nikita Nesterov‘s first NHL goal from Ondrej Palat at 12:11. But the Kings scored one in the second as Anze Kopitar blew past defenseman Andrej Sustr and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with a quick wrist shot to tie the game. The KIngs scored two in the third on Tampa Bay defensive errors to come from behind and beat the Bolts.
The Kings took the lead at 3:36 of the third with Jordan Nolan beating Vasilevskiy with a backhander when young defenseman Luke Witkowski allowed Nolan to get to the middle of the ice.
Los Angeles forward Jeff Carter netted what would be the game winner at 13:59 of the third period from Drew Doughty and Dwight King.
Tyler Johnson scored his 21st of the season late in the third with Vasilevskiy pulled to give the Bolts life. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman assisted on the goal at 19:23.
Kings netminder Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots for his fifth consecutive victory. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots in the loss.
Defenseman Luke Witkowski was injured in the first period on a hard check by Anze Kopitar and again forward Brian Boyle filled in on defense. That, coupled with Sustr, Witkowski and the young defenders glaring mistakes may force GM Steve Yzerman go the “rental” route despite his comments against that philosophy.
After the game, Boyle said the Kings are an “opportunistic” team. “But it’s the way it’s going to be from here on out.”
Coach Jon Cooper stated, “We played well enough to get points out of this game.Don’t think you can walk away from that game and say LA was way better than us.”
Tampa Bay has now lost three of its last four and is two points behind the Montreal Canadiens in the battle for Atlantic Division supremacy.
Mark Barberio (healthy), J.T. Brown (healthy), Radko Gudas (knee surgery) and Matt Carle (abdominal surgery) were the scratches.
The Lightning will visit the Anaheim Duck Wednesday night.
(Feature Photograph/Getty Images)
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