The LA Kings picked up a point for the seventh game in a row but were unable to collect the second one in a 4-3 shootout loss against Detroit in the opener of a four-game homestand.
With the Kings on the penalty kill midway through the second period, forward Alex Laferriere flipped the script with a shorthanded goal to open the scoring. Laferriere chipped the puck around Detroit forward Emmitt Finnie to create some space for himself down the left wing. Moving in on his backhand, Laferriere beat former Kings goaltender Cam Talbot on the blocker side to put the hosts ahead 1-0.
On the same power play, however, Detroit answered with a goal of its own to knot the score at one. Forward Lucas Raymond worked the puck to forward Alex DeBrincat in the left-hand circle and he beat Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper to the near post for the goal, his third of the season, as the Red Wings made it 1-1.
The Red Wings buried a second power-play goal, with controversy, as they took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. A shot from the point was deflected into the back of the net by forward Marco Kasper, but the play was reviewed for being played with a high stick. After video review, it was determined that the call on the ice stood, giving Detroit the lead, although it certainly appeared to be above the bar.
Detroit added a 5-on-5 goal with under six minutes to play in regulation, opening up a 3-1 lead in the process. Skating in transition, Kasper buried his second of the evening from the front of the crease, tapping in a spinning setup in transition from forward Mason Appleton, capping off a tic-tac-toe play to put the visitors ahead by apair.
With just over two minutes on the clock, the Kings found the back of the net skating 6-on-5 to pull within a goal late in regulation. With the net empty, forward Corey Perry got to the front of the net, corralled an Adrian Kempe rebound, spun onto his forehand and slotted his shot past Talbot and in at the back post to get the hosts back to 3-2 down.
Perry made it a multi-goal game less than a minute later as redirected home the game-tying goal. With the Kings again playing 6-on-5, forward Anze Kopitar got the puck into the slot with a shot-pass to forward Quinton Byfield, who saw his redirection attempt blocked, but he collected the rebound, fired on net and Perry tipped it past Talbot to extend the game and force overtime.
The Kings thought they found the winning goal in overtime, as Kevin Fiala had the puck in the back of the net, but upon video review the play was overturned for goaltender interference. After neither team scored in the remainder of the extra session, Detroit won in the shootout on a goal from forward Lucas Raymond.
Hear from Byfield, Perry and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight’s game.