Kings Hand Penguins Shootout Loss To Win Sixth Straight
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marion Gaborik's shootout goal lifted Los Angeles to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night for the Kings' sixth straight win.
Pittsburgh's David Perron and the Kings' Anze Kopitar also scored in the shootout.
Jake Muzzin and Tanner Pearson had Los Angeles' goals in regulation, and Jonathan Quick stopped 40 shots through overtime. The Pacific Division-leading Kings have a point in eight straight games (6-0-2).
Eric Fehr and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins, who were 5-2-1 in their last eight home games. Marc-Andre Fleury had 38 saves.
Malkin had the tying goal with 1:10 left in regulation.
Los Angeles scored the only goal of the first period as Pearson got around Pittsburgh defenseman Ian Cole at the left point, carried the puck to the bottom of that circle and let loose with a shot that glanced off Fleury's arm and into the net at 7:34.
Fleury kept it at 1-0 later in the first period when he went into a full split to make a right pad save on Kingscenter Anze Kopitar on a 2-on-1 as a Pittsburgh power play was expiring.
Quick had his turn on a sequence early in the second period. Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin carried the puck behind the Kings net and attempted a wraparound. Center Nick Bonino then got off a shot from the slot before Dumoulin got another crack. Quick stopped all three shots.
The closest thing to a multiple-player brawl in today's version of the NHL broke out when, during a Pittsburgh power play, Los Angeles center Jeff Carter slashed Penguins center Evgeni Malkin in the back of the legs.
Pittsburgh had a 5-on-3 advantage for 22 seconds late in the second after Los Angeles' Jeff Carter slashed Malkin in the back of the legs during a Penguins power play.
Pittsburgh did not score during an ensuing the two-man advantage, but Fehr tied it for the Penguins a short time later during 4-on-4 play. After center Matt Cullen dug the puck out of the corner and away from Kingsdefenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Fehr converted a feed from Cullen, with his shot from near the bottom of the right circle glancing in off of Quick with 1:15 remaining in the period.
Los Angeles began the third period with 31 seconds remaining on a power play. Three seconds after it expired, Muzzin scored on a one-timer from the top of the right circle.
Malkin forced overtime when he scored with Fleury pulled for an extra attacker. From the top of the crease, he got a couple of whacks at the puck before it slid under Quick.
NOTES: Pittsburgh played without D Kris Letang, who will be out "for the next little bit," according to coach Mike Johnston, because of an undisclosed upper-body injury. Letang had missed two games — including one Saturday at LA — because of a different injury before getting hurt Wednesday at Colorado. ... The Penguins also scratched D Adam Clendening. .. Pittsburgh is off until Monday when Washington visits. ... Kings C Jordan Nolan appeared to shove linesman Shandor Alphonso at 4:38 of the third period. ... Los Angeles winger Michael Mersch made his NHL debut. ... The Kings had no healthy scratches. D Derek Forbort and Fs Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis remain out because of injuries. ... Los Angeles' road trip continues Saturday at Buffalo. ... Of not having to face Letang this season, Kings coach Darryl Sutter said, "Maybe we do. Maybe we have to see him seven times still (in the Stanley Cup finals). That would be a good thing for both of us."
