Kings extend winning streak to 6 with 3-2 OT win over Montreal

MONTREAL — Adrian Kempe scored on a sweeping move at 3:39 of overtime and the Los Angeles Kings extended their winning streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Brendan Lemieux and Alex Iafallo also scored. Cal Petersen made 33 saves for the Kings, whose winning streak is currently the longest one in the league.

Ben Chiarot and Jake Evans tallied for Montreal, which fell to 3-11-1. Jake Allen made 31 saves.

Kempe’s fifth goal of the season was a great individual effort and it extended his goal scoring streak to four games. He took a drop pass from Andreas Athanasiou near his own blue line, skated into the Montreal zone, circle the net and then did a complete circle around the Canadiens’ zone. When he got to the blue line, he put on a burst of speed, skated around Evans, cut to the net and beat Allen to the corner of the net.

It was former Canadien Phillip Danault’s first game back at the Bell Centre since signing with the Kings as a free agent.

Chiarot opened the scoring at 15:03 of the first period off a scramble.

Los Angeles pulled even at 4:56 of the second period when Lemieux beat Allen with a powerful shot in the top left corner.

The Kings took a 2-1 lead six seconds into the third period. Iafallo broke down the side after the opening faceoff and fooled Allen with a wrist shot.

Evans tied the game at 13:22 of the third after beating defenseman

Tobias Bjornfoot with a nifty move near the faceoff circle.

NFL

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he stands behind the comments he made last week about why he didn’t get vaccinated for COVID-19, but acknowledges misleading some people about his status before testing positive.

Rodgers spoke on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and SiriusXM, four days after discussing on the same outlet his reasons for avoiding a vaccine. Rodgers tested positive Wednesday, was unavailable to play in the Packers’ 13-7 loss Sunday at Kansas City and remains quarantined in his Green Bay home.

“I shared an opinion that’s polarizing,” Rodgers said. “I get it. And I misled some people about my status, which I take full responsibility of, those comments. But in the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about. I stand behind the things that I said.”

Later Tuesday, the NFL fined the Packers $300,000 and issued $14,650 fines to Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard for violations of league and players’ union protocols. ESPN first reported the fines.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Cincinnati all moved up one spot behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama in the second College Football Playoff rankings.

Two Southeastern Conference teams sat atop the ranking for a second straight week, but after Michigan State lost last weekend, at least one spot in the top four was certain to change.

The committee simply bumped up the Ducks, Buckeyes and Bearcats and dropped Michigan State to No. 7 behind No. 6 Michigan.

The Spartans beat the Wolverines 37-33 just two weeks ago.

Unbeaten Oklahoma remained at No. 8 and Notre Dame and Oklahoma State rounded out the top 10.

BERKELEY — California’s game against USC was postponed

after a series of positive coronavirus tests in the Golden Bears program, the first major college football game to be rescheduled this season because of COVID-19.

Cal played last week at Arizona without starting quarterback Chase Garbers and six other starters because of positive tests that knocked out 24 players and assistant coaches. The Bears lost 10-3 to Arizona.

Cal announced that additional players tested positive this week and are unavailable to practice or play, leading to the postponement. Athletic director Jim Knowlton called it a “difficult decision.”

MLB

CARLSBAD — Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper have won Hank Aaron Awards as the outstanding offensive performers in each league as voted by MLB.com and a panel of Hall of Famers.

Guerrero tied for the major league home run lead with 48 and led the AL in OPS (1.002), slugging percentage (.601) and on-base percentage (.401).

Harper, who won in 2015 with Washington, led the major leagues in OPS (1.044) and slugging percentage (.615) and tied for first with 42 doubles.