Kings veteran Anze Kopitar shines while Kings veteran Jonathan Quick traded

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights

The Los Angeles Kings made National Hockey League headlines on the ice and when it came to the NHL trade deadline. On Tuesday, Anze Kopitar of Jesenice, Slovenia became the fourth player this season to score four goals in a game as the Kings defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-5 in a shootout. Then later on Tuesday, the Kings traded their veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick of Milford, Connecticut to the Columbus Blue Jackets for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo of Pori, Finland and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov of Yaroslavl, Russia. The Blue Jackets also will receive a first round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a third round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Four goal game

After Winnipeg went up 2-0 after the first period on two goals from Josh Morrissey of Calgary, Alberta, Kopitar pulled the Kings within one goal at the 26 second mark of the second period on the power play from Kevin Fiala of St. Gallen, Switzerland and Drew Doughty of London, Ontario. After the Jets restored their two goal lead at 3-1, Kopitar scored two goals in a span of one minute and 29 seconds to tie the game at three. Kopitar scored from Alexander Edler of Ostersund, Sweden and Quinton Byfield of Newmarket, Ontario at 9:14 of the second period, and then from Doughty at 10:43 of the second period. Kopitar then scored his fourth of the contest from Carl Grundstrom of Umea, Sweden and Sean Durzi of Mississauga, Ontario at 1:26 of the third period to pull the Kings within one goal.

The other three NHL players to score four goals in a game this season are Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, Adrian Kempe of the Kings, and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Ironically, the Blue Jackets, the Kings trade partner, also had a player register a hat trick on Tuesday. Eric Robinson of Bellmawr, New Jersey scored thrice in a 5-3 Columbus win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Jonathan Quick

Quick spent his entire NHL career with the Kings, ever since 2008. A two-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner (2014 and 2018), and two-time Stanley Cup champion (2012 and 2014), he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012. In 2022-23, Quick had a record of 11 wins, 13 regulation losses, and four losses in extra time. He had a goals against average of 3.50,  a save percentage of .876 and one shutout, which came in a 1-0 Kings win over the Minnesota Wild on November 8.

Joonas Korpisalo

Korpisalo has been with the Blue Jackets since 2015. This season he had a record of 11 wins, 11 regulation losses and three losses in extra time, a goals against average of 3.17 and a save percentage of .911.

Vladislav Gavrikov

Gavrikov has three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 52 games. He is a -8 with 30 penalty minutes, two game-winning goals, one shorthanded point, 61 shots on goal, 89 blocked shots, 56 hits, 19 takeaways, and 14 giveaways.

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