The LA Kings made it two straight with a 3-2 overtime win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY, and Artemi Panarin was the spark from the opening period on.
Panarin scored twice to give the Kings control early. His first came just shy of six minutes into the game, after Brandt Clarke knocked the puck loose in the neutral zone and sent Alex Laferriere ahead at center ice. Laferriere moved it into the offensive zone, and Panarin did the rest, freezing Semyon Varlamov with a show of pass before lifting a shot top shelf for his team-leading fifth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
He struck again before the first intermission. Laferriere nearly finished the chance himself from close range, but the puck slipped away. Panarin picked it up in the left circle, had his first attempt blocked, then stayed with the play and buried the rebound past Varlamov to make it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
The Islanders answered late in the second period with a power-play goal. Victor Eklund and Tony DeAngelo traded passes just above the slot before DeAngelo set up Eklund for a one-timer from the top of the left circle.
The shot beat Darcy Kuemper and pulled New York within 2-1. Eklund’s goal was his third of the season.
New York kept climbing in the third. Just over seven minutes into the period, reigning Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer tied it at 2-2. Logan Stanley fed him, Schaefer glided into the right circle with time and room, then picked his spot and beat Kuemper blocker side for his second goal of the season.
That sent the game to overtime, where the Kings controlled most of the 3-on-3 action. Adrian Kempe pushed up the right wing into the offensive zone, cut toward the slot, and slipped the puck to Clarke. The defenseman unloaded a shot high glove side for his second career overtime game-winner, sealing the 3-2 finish for Los Angeles.
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The Kings continued their steady work on Long Island with another road win, this time grinding out a 3-2 overtime victory over the Islanders behind a heavy workload from Darcy Kuemper. The veteran goalie stopped 41 shots and backed up a team effort that kept Los Angeles in position to steal two points late, while the game also marked Peter Laviolettes return to the New York area, where he has coached both the Rangers and Islanders.
Los Angeles got the payoff in overtime from Brandt Clarke, a timely finish that fit the Kings recent knack for staying patient away from home and finding a way through in the third period or beyond. Artemi Panarin also had a major hand in the result with two goals against his former New York-area club, adding another layer to a game that was already carrying plenty of local intrigue for a Kings team that seems to keep leaving Long Island with a story worth retelling. [Read more 🡒]
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The Kings early-season picture looked a little brighter after their Oct. 22 overtime win, with Brandt Clarke delivering the deciding goal and giving the club its second victory of the regular season. As the roster settles in, attention is already turning toward Ontario, where the AHL affiliate has become an important source of help if Los Angeles needs another boost up front or on the blue line.
Several young players have put themselves in the conversation for an NHL look, and the organization has reason to keep a close eye on what happens next. The Kings are not just looking for emergency depth here, but for potential contributors who can strengthen the roster while continuing to develop, which makes the coming stretch in Ontario worth watching from afar. [Read more 🡒]