Kings rally from four-goal third-period lead to beat Senators in overtime

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Los Angeles erased a four-goal third-period lead and scored the game winner in overtime as the Kings defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-5 at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Quinton Byfield finished the comeback with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle with 1:23 remaining in the overtime period, completing a reversal that left Ottawa tied late in regulation before the extra time goal decided the outcome.

Byfield’s overtime goal capped a sequence in which Los Angeles entered the third period with a commanding advantage and then watched Ottawa rally for multiple goals, including the tying marker just before the final horn. The Senators scored in succession after trailing 5-1 going into the third, and they eventually forced overtime following Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto’s late-regulation scoring.

Drew Doughty recorded the primary assist on Byfield’s winner, his third point of the game, while Artemi Panarin added the secondary assist. The play began with Panarin, who started the rush and then exited for a change as Byfield jumped on the ice, leading directly to the overtime finish.

Offensively for the Kings, Panarin, Trevor Moore, Mikey Anderson and Joel Armia each scored as part of a four-goal second period that put Los Angeles ahead 5-1 after two. The Kings finished the game with a total of six goals, and Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves in the win.

Ottawa’s scoring surge in the third period narrowed the deficit and ultimately produced the tie. Shane Pinto tipped in Drake Batherson’s shot with 1:40 left in regulation after Ottawa pulled Samuel Ersson for an extra attacker, a move that earned the Senators at least a point when they had trailed by four goals entering the final frame.

Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens powered the Senators’ comeback. Cozens scored twice and added an assist, Batherson contributed a goal and two assists, and Stutzle had three assists for Ottawa, which is described in the league recap as having lost the first two games of a five-game road trip.

The Senators cut Los Angeles’s lead to 5-2 at 7:18 of the third when Cozens scored on a wrist shot from the right circle through traffic. Batherson then made it 5-3 at 7:51 with a snap shot from the high slot, setting up the later power-play goal that drew the teams level.

Cozens later made it 5-4 at 12:34 on the power play. The league description says Cozens’ backhand effort to jam in Stutzle’s rebound trickled between Kuemper’s legs and across the goal line before Los Angeles could respond in time to keep the deficit from shrinking.

Los Angeles briefly regained control when it scored to tie the early game momentum on special teams. Erik Haula tied the game 1-1 at 15:09 of the first period on a power play when he redirected Clarke’s long shot while positioned in the left circle. The Kings’ recap notes that it was their first home power-play goal of the season after going 0-for-11 through their first three games.

The Senators opened the scoring 1-0 at 11:24 of the first period on Tyler Kleven’s second goal of the season. Kleven charged the slot to backhand Fabian Zetterlund’s rebound following a one-timer from the right circle.

The Kings took the lead for good during the second period, building a multi-goal advantage after Haula’s early response. Moore put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 at 6:51 by attacking the crease and tipping Byfield’s centering pass under Jonas Johansson’s right arm. Anderson then made it 3-1 at 10:17 with a slap shot from above the left circle through traffic.

Johansson was pulled following additional goals in the middle frame. The league recap says Johansson allowed four goals on 16 shots, and after Armia’s shot from the top of the left circle hit the left post and went in off the goalie’s backside, Los Angeles led 4-1 at 10:54. Ersson replaced Johansson and made 20 saves in relief.

Panarin extended the Kings’ lead to 5-1 at 15:43 on a wrist shot from the top of the left circle during a two-man advantage, reinforcing Los Angeles’ big second-period burst. That five-goal cushion, however, did not hold through the final 20 minutes.

In addition to the scoring swing, the game included a significant injury-related situation for Los Angeles. The Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke did not return after sustaining an elbow to the head from Ottawa forward Hayden Hodgson at 11:15 of the second period. Hodgson was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct, according to the league recap.

Ottawa’s tying sequence came after Cozens and Batherson scored twice in the third to force increasing pressure on the Kings. Pinto then finished the late regulation equalizer at 1:40 when he tipped Batherson’s shot, setting up overtime and Byfield’s winner to complete Los Angeles’ 6-5 comeback at Crypto.com Arena.

With the overtime result, the Senators earned a point despite the late collapse, while the Kings recorded their first home win of the season after three straight regulation losses to start the campaign, according to the NHL game recap. The result left Ottawa unable to prevent another reversal after a large third-period lead had been established by Los Angeles earlier in the night.