Carl Grundstrom scored the decisive goal in the ninth round of the shootout, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar scored in regulation for Los Angeles, who improved their impressive road record to 12-1-1 this season. Cam Talbot made 17 saves through overtime.
“The group as a whole decided they wanted to play our way,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “They took ownership of the game in certain situations, whether line changes, shift length, or specific assignments. They reestablished our way of doing things.”
Adam Larsson and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in regulation for Seattle, now losing nine of its last 11 games. Joey Daccord stopped 36 shots.
The Kraken managed just four shots in the first 30 minutes, finishing with their second-lowest shot total of the season.
“They’re outstanding defensively,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said of the Kings. “They play hard, shut down the middle of the rink, and break out with structure, beating your forecheck by a few feet here and there.”
Adrian Kempe, Arthur Kaliyev, and Trevor Lewis also scored in the shootout for the Kings, while Kailer Yamamoto, Yanni Gourde, and Matty Beniers netted for the Kraken.
“I’m confident our group can play in these (low-scoring) games and win,” McLellan said. “We’re built for that type of night. We haven’t had to play in many of them this year.”
Larsson opened the scoring 6:45 into the first period with his second goal of the season, sneaking a soft pass through two skaters and between Talbot’s legs. This game marked Larsson’s 300th consecutive game, the fifth-longest active streak in the NHL.
Moore tied it with his team-high 14th goal, 6:28 remaining in the first period, beating Daccord with a backhanded shot off a between-the-legs touch pass from Phillip Danault.
Kopitar gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal with 2:44 left in the second period. Quinton Byfield sent a backhanded pass to the crease, and Kopitar one-timed it past Daccord for his 12th goal.
Bjorkstrand tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal 2:29 left in regulation, firing a wrist shot past Talbot for his 10th goal.
“Unfortunately, we gave up the power play late in the game,” McLellan said. “Give them credit. They scored a nice goal. But I thought tonight we deserved to win. We played a good, solid game, and if we hadn’t won, it would’ve stung a little bit.”
Seattle missed the chance to complete its first three-game win streak of the season, falling to 3-8 in overtime and shootouts this season. They have lost eight of their past nine shootouts from the start of last season.
Upcoming Games
- Kings: At San Jose on Tuesday night.
- Kraken: Begin a four-game road trip at Dallas on Monday night.
