The Kings had a chance to settle into their seven-game homestand, but Buffalo walked out of Crypto.com Arena with the points Saturday afternoon after a 3-2 Sabres win dropped Los Angeles to 1-1 on the stretch.
Buffalo struck first on the power play early in the game. After an unnecessary penalty in the defensive zone, Jack Quinn used a burst of speed off the left-wing boards, found the slot and beat Anton Forsberg with a glove-side wrist shot for his eighth goal of the season and a 1-0 Sabres lead.
The visitors stretched it to 2-0 midway through the second period after winning a faceoff in their own end, clearing the zone and then immediately regaining the puck at the offensive blueline. Zach Benson set up Tage Thompson down the right wing, and Thompson worked into the right-hand circle before firing a shot inside the far post.
Los Angeles finally got on the board late in the second with its second power-play unit. Trevor Moore took a pass from Brandt Clarke in the right-hand circle and sent the puck to the low slot, where it went off Corey Perry’s skate and in. The goal was first waved off for goaltender interference, then counted after a successful coaches challenge, cutting Buffalo’s lead to 2-1 at the second intermission.
The Kings needed only 89 seconds of the third period to pull even. Joel Armia helped create the space with strong possession in the offensive zone, then Andre Lee got to the front of the net and redirected a centering pass from Scott Laughton past Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen for his first goal of the 2026-27 regular season.
The tie didn’t last. Late in the third, after a missed interference call on Buffalo extended a shift in the offensive zone, Los Angeles was whistled for tripping seconds later. Buffalo cashed in on the power play, and Thompson finished off his second goal of the afternoon to seal the 3-2 Sabres victory.
In Other News...
Kings Let A Winnable Home Game Slip Away After Costly Misses
A home game that looked there for the taking ended with the Kings staring at another missed chance, as Buffalo slipped out of Crypto.com Arena with a 3-2 win. Los Angeles had enough looks to make it a different night, but Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots and Anton Forsberg did his part with 28 saves in a matchup that stayed tight until the finish.
Peter Laviolette pointed to the Kings effort and the opportunities they let get away, which fit the frustration of a night when the details mattered. Tage Thompson was the difference for Buffalo, and the Kings were left to sort through a result that felt avoidable, especially with the way the game was hanging in the balance late. [Read more 🡒]
Reign Let Another Home Game Slip And Fans Know The Problem
Ontarios latest home outing had enough good signs early to suggest it might finally be the kind of night that steadies a season, with Aatu Jmsen and Cole Guttman giving the Reign a lead at Toyota Arena. Hampton Slukynsky was busy from the start and kept Tucson from taking over completely, while the power play cashed in once in three chances, giving Ontario a few things to build on even in defeat.
But the final result told the more familiar story. The Reign were outshot 43-21 and couldnt finish off the game after getting themselves in position to control it, leaving another home loss that will sting because it felt there for the taking. For a team trying to protect its own ice and build some momentum, letting an opponent hang around long enough to flip the script is the sort of problem that keeps showing up in the standings and in the stands. [Read more 🡒]