What a game in Arizona. After going down 4-1 in the first period, the Los Angeles Kings came all the way back to beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 in regulation.
What a game in Arizona. After going down 4-1 in the first period, the Los Angeles Kings came all the way back to beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-4 in regulation.
It was a very slow start for the Kings, who went down 1-0 37 seconds into the game off a Matias Maccelli two-on-one goal.
The Kings then tied it at one a few minutes later off a strong play from Quinton Byfield. Receiving a breakout pass from Adrian Kempe, Byfield attacked the defensemen wide with speed before feeding a pass in front for Mikey Anderson who finished.
Things went downhill for Los Angeles after that goal though.
Two goals in under a minute saw an early end to Pheonix Copley's night, but Cam Talbot didn't provide the instant relief Todd McLellan was hoping for, conceding on the first shot he faced.
The Kings locked things down after giving up four goals in the opening nine minutes though, only allowing one shot after the fourth goal.
They started the comeback in the second with a Drew Doughty blast on the power play but only brought themselves within two after two.
In the third period, the Kings really turned up the heat.
Byfield grabbed his second of the season just under two minutes into the third period, re-directing Arthur Kaliyev's shot-pass into the top corner.
Just a few minutes later, Anze Kopitar tied the game, making a composed play at the top of the zone to spin away from a defender before his shot was deflected in.
Arizona made a late push to regain the lead, but Talbot found his feet in net and made a few big saves.
Then, with 1:59 remaining, after an extended shift in the Coyotes zone, Doughty fired home his second of the game to complete the comeback.
Ten seconds later, Clayton Keller took a high-sticking penalty which all but killed the game. The Kings played keep away for most of the remaining 1:48 and went home with both points.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Quinton Byfield's Best Game as a Kings:
McLellan called Byfield's performance on opening night his best in a Kings jersey. Well, that will have to take the position of second-best after Friday's performance.
It wasn't just the two points, although those play a massive part, it was the way he made a meaningful impact on nearly every shift.
It was more than just good forechecks and strong positioning too. Byfield was creating offense and asserting himself on the game.
His assist was a great example of how he can use his size and speed to create and his goal was one of the first instances of him using his size to score in front.
A performance that combined "the little things" Byfield does so well with production. If he can keep this up, watch out, the Kings have an impact player on their hands.
Goalies Struggle:
It's tough to be negative after a win like that, but the King's goalies simply weren't good enough on Friday.
At the ten-minute mark, the Coyotes had four goals on just six shots and it looked like the game was over early.
The Kings' high-powered offense got them back into this game, but against a team like the Vegas Golden Knights, you can't bank on dominating for two and a half periods to get back into a game.
To Talbot's credit, after letting in the first shot he faced, he was flawless. He made a few big saves late in the game which kept the Kings in this one, but overall, the Kings need more from their netminders.
It will be interesting to see if McLellan goes back to Talbot tomorrow, effectively playing him twice in a back-to-back situation, or if he shows faith in Copley.
It's a tough decision, like I said, if the same thing happens tomorrow night, I wouldn't expect a heroic comeback against Vegas.
The Captains Lead the Way:
When you need someone to step up, it's always nice to have your captain and alternate captain — who also make a combined $21 million — lead the charge.
Doughty scored the goal that gave the Kings life in the second and the game-winner. While Kopitar scored the game-tying goal off a great individual effort.
Between the two of them, Kopitar and Doughty combined for three goals and 46:42 of ice time.
Byfield's individual performance will garner most of the attention, and for good reason, but the veteran's played a big part in this comeback too.