Kempe scores for 3rd straight game

LOS ANGELES — Adrian Kempe scored for the third straight game, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and two assists, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Monday night.

Sean Walker and Matt Roy also scored to help the Kings get their second straight win after the All-Star break and bye week. Phillip Danault had three assists and Pheonix Copley made 27 saves.

Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs scored, and Craig Anderson allowed five goals on 28 shots for the Sabres, who have dropped four straight games following a five-game win streak.

The Kings scored four times in the second period, turning the tables after allowing six goals in the third period of a 6-0 loss at Buffalo on Dec. 13.

Kempe following up his four-goal eruption against Pittsburgh on Saturday by scoring short-handed at 9:20 of the middle period to open the scoring. It was his seventh goal in three games.

Kaliyev hammered in a slap shot on a power play with 7:25 left for the 2-0 lead.

Walker and Roy scored 33 seconds apart at the end of the period to make it 4-0 with 46 seconds left and effectively put the game out of reach.

Arvidsson poked in the puck after it took an odd bounce and ended up at Anderson’s feet 5:14 into the third.

Cozens broke up Copley’s bid for a second straight shutout with 9:44 left, and Krebs added power-play goal nearly 5 minutes later.

RARE AIR

Kempe is the third Kings player to score five straight goals for the club, joining Tomas Sandstrom (Nov. 2224, 1990) and Luc Robitaille (Feb. 4-6, 1992).

Sandstorm holds the club record with eight goals in a three-game span from Nov. 20-24, 1990.

DIDN’T WORK

The Sabres shuffled their forward combinations coming into the game in hopes of trying to end their skid, having Cozens center the top line between Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch and putting Tage Thompson with Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo on the second line.

WORTH NOTING

Danault had his fourth three-point game in two seasons since coming to Los Angeles . ... The Kings won their 200th game since Rob Blake took over as general manager following the 2017 season. ... Middlestadt and Victor Olofsson each had two assists for the Sabres.

UP NEXT

Sabres: At Anaheim on Wednesday night.

Kings: At Anaheim on Friday night.

Associated Press Kings defenseman Sean Walker (left) celebrates scoring a goal with center Phillip Danault during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres, Monday, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 5-2.