Iafallo Leads Kings To 5-2 Comeback Over Blue Jackets
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex Iafallo scored two goals to lead the Los Angeles Kings back from an early two-goal deficit and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2, on Thursday night.
Nate Thompson, Tanner Pearson and Jeff Carter also scored for the Kings, who won their third straight game. Jonathan Quick stopped 30 shots.
Cam Atkinson and Seth Jones scored the early goals for the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo saved 29 shots on goal for Columbus.
The Kings have won six of their last eight.
The Blue Jackets scored twice in the first period to jump out to a 2-0 lead, but the Kings stormed back with three goals in the second period.
Atkinson started the scoring in the first with his 13th goal. He took nifty backward pass from Mat Calvert just past the net that went through the legs of Anze Kopitar and to a charging Atkinson, who snapped it behind Quick.
Nearly 10 minutes later Jones skated down center ice and fired a long shot that slipped past Quick for a 2-0 Columbus lead. It was his 10th goal.
A different Kings team came out in the second period. Thompson fired long from the right side to beat Korpisalo. It was his fifth goal of the season and first with the Kings since arriving in a Feb. 13 trade with Ottawa.
Los Angeles tied it two minutes later when Iafallo deflected a Christian Folin shot into the net.
The Kings took the lead a minute later on a power play when Drew Doughty's wrist shot was deflected in front of the net by Pearson for his 11th goal.
In the third Carter scored on a breakaway and Iafallo on a wrist shot in front of the net to complete the Kings' scoring. Iafallo had six goals entering the game.
NOTES: The Kings signed their 2017 first-round pick (11th overall), Gabe Vilardi, to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old forward from Kingston, Ontario, has played in 134 career games in the Ontario Hockey League, totaling 142 points (60-82).
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Continue their three-game trip in California on Friday in Anaheim.
Kings: Remain at home to play Chicago on Saturday.
(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
