Kings build lead, hold on for win at Ottawa
OTTAWA, ONTARIO >> Anze Kopitar scored midway through the second period to help the Kings build a threegoal lead and they held on to beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Thursday night.
Carl Grundstrom and Philip Danault also scored and Adrian Kempe had two assists for the Kings, who have won the first two games on their four-game trip and improved to 6-2-2 on the season. Cam Talbot, who spent last season in Ottawa, had 24 saves against his former team.
“That was a good game from our side tonight,” Kempe said. “Obviously they came back at the end and it was tighter than we wanted it to be. But I think we've had some games this year where it's been a one-goal game at the end of the second period and I think we've been doing a really good job of that.
“Every line is managing the puck really well.”
Dominik Kubalik and Josh Norris had goals for Ottawa, and Joonas Korpisalo finished with 36 saves against his former team.
The Kings opened the scoring with a power-play goal three minutes in when Danault tallied from in close.
Los Angeles doubled its lead at the 5-minute mark of the second period. Kempe picked up the puck at his own blue line, came down
Kings center Anze Kopitar gives goaltender Cam Talbot a pat on the mask after L.A.'s win at Ottawa on Thursday.
KINGS 3, SENATORS 2
Up next: Kings at Flyers, Saturday, 4:30 p.m., BSW
the wing and fed Grundstrom, who beat Korpisalo.
Kopitar was the beneficiary of Andreas Englund's rebound for his fifth goal of the season at 8:55 of the middle period to make it 3-0.
“We have a pretty good idea of how we need to play,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Sometimes bounces don't go your way, their second goal hits (Kopitar) in the face and a little bit of bad luck, but for the most part, I think we can play tight, uncomfortable games.”
The Senators got on the board with Kubalik's powerplay