The Kings kicked the 2024-25 regular season with a comeback victory in Buffalo on Thursday night. Defeating the Sabres 3-1 thanks to another night to remember from the Kings captain, Anze Kopitar netted his seventh career hat trick and second career season opening hat trick.
It was a quiet first two periods for the Kings that saw the Sabres lead 1-0 on the scoreboard and 27-11 in the shots department. The Sabres opened the scoring late in the second period when the Kings turned the puck over on the power play in the neutral zone, immediately sending Alex Tuch in alone on Darcy Kuemper for a breakaway. Tuch was unsuccessful on his first attempt but followed up his original shot and beat Kuemper with the shorthanded rebound put-back.
The Kings trailed 1-0 entering the third period, but that didn’t last long; 13 seconds in fact. Seconds after puck drop the newly appointed first line winger Alex Laferriere won a puck battle as the first forward in and found a trailing Kopitar in the high slot. Kopitar one-timed a snap shot high-glove and evened the game. The Kings then broke the 1-1 tie late in regulation, capitalizing on the man advantage. Just as a 5-on-3 became a 5-on-4, Kopitar blasted another one-timer, this one a slap shot off the far post and in. Capping off the hat trick, Kopitar sealed the victory with an empty netter to earn the Kings their first two points of the season.
Back in a Kings jersey, Kuemper was stellar, stopping 32 of 33 shots.
