Kings rally past Avalanche for first win

LOS ANGELES -- Adrian Kempe scored the go-ahead goal with 3:56 remaining in the third period, and the Los Angeles Kings got their first win of the season, 4-2 against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center on Thursday.

Kempe redirected Anze Kopitar's centering pass inside the left post to put Los Angeles ahead 3-2 before Blake Lizotte scored an empty-net goal at 19:18 for the 4-2 final.
"I knew [Kempe] was standing in front," said Kopitar, who had two assists. "I was trying to surprise the goalie and their defense. I wanted to make a quick play and it ended up working out."
Drew Doughty and Gabriel Vilardi each scored a power-play goal for the Kings (1-1-2), and Jonathan Quick made 24 saves playing on his 35th birthday.
"It wasn't a Picasso, but we don't need the perfection right now," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "It was a happy night at the end, but it was a stressful night throughout."

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Mikko Rantanen scored for the third straight game for the Avalanche (2-2-0), who defeated the Kings 3-2 on Tuesday. Hunter Miska made 23 saves in his first NHL start.
The Kings went into the game with new line combinations, and after falling behind 2-0 after the first period, McLellan shuffled his defense pairs as well.
Doughty then got the Kings within 2-1 at 3:35 of the second when he scored with a one-timer from the right circle during a 5-on-3, and Vilardi tied it 2-2 with a wrist shot from the right circle at 17:50.
Los Angeles was 2-for-5 on the power play.
"Well, the difference in the hockey game was special teams tonight," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I thought our penalty kill, it was an off day. They took their shots and opportunity. They're a hardworking power-play."
Rantanen put the Avalanche ahead 1-0 at 4:49 of the first period, charging through the slot to put in the rebound of MacKinnon's backhand shot.
The Kings have allowed the first goal in each of their four games.
MacKinnon made it 2-0 at 19:15 of the first, beating Quick with a wrist shot through traffic from the left circle during a power play. MacKinnon has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past three games.
Colorado has scored at least one goal on the power play in each of their four games (9-for-21), but Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said he was disappointed that they couldn't continue to take advantage at even strength after the first period.
"I thought we were the ones really forcing the play 5-on-5 and attacking, had some zone time and some good looks, and Quick made some good stops," Landeskog said. "We invite them back in the game at least, and then obviously the third it's still a wide-open hockey game. … So unfortunate to get one there with a few minutes left."
NOTES: Kopitar played in his 1,077th game, tying Luc Robitaille for third most in Kings history. … Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, had one shot in 11:19 of ice time in his NHL debut. … Defenseman Greg Pateryn made his Avalanche debut after being acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Pateryn played 14:54 but was called for a tripping penalty that gave the Kings their 5-on-3.