Kopitar scores two points to push NHL total to 999, Kings defeat Coyotes

GLENDALE, Ariz.-- Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist for the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Monday.

Kopitar needs one point to become the 91st player in NHL history and the fourth Kings player to reach 1,000.
"It's incredible to be out there with him and [to be] one point away, it's a pretty amazing accomplishment," said forward Alex Iafallo, who scored the tiebreaking goal. "It's an honor to be able to play with him."

The Coyotes (22-25-6) lost their 11th in 14 games (3-10-1) and fell to five points behind the St. Louis Blues for fourth place in the Honda West Division. The Blues won 3-1 against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. The top four teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Blues need two points in their final six games or for the Coyotes to lose one of their three remaining games to clinch a playoff berth.
"Anything can happen," Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse said. "We have to go right to the end. … That's all we can really ask, get as many points as you can, because you never really know until the last regular-season game ends."
Christian Dvorak and Jakob Chychrun scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for Arizona.
Jonathan Quick made 17 saves for the Kings (20-24-6) before leaving with an upper-body injury after the second period. Cal Petersen played the final period and made 15 saves. Trevor Moore scored.
Kings coach Todd McLellan said he liked how his players responded to a 6-2 loss to the Ducks on Saturday.
"I thought we were aggressive, we tried to take the game to them rather than receiving it," McLellan said. "We were able to stay ahead of them with line changes, so we were the fresh five rather than the tired five, which makes a big difference for our team. And we were just aggressive."
The teams play here again Wednesday.
Iafallo gave the Kings a 3-2 lead on a power-play goal at 13:40 of the second, scoring off a rebound of Drew Doughty's slap shot from the right point that Kuemper couldn't cover.
Kopitar had tied it 2-2 at 7:40 on a rush with Adrian Kempe.
Iafallo and Kempe switched lines, with Kempe moving up to Kopitar's line, and McLellan liked how both played with their new linemates.
"They flipped positions and I thought they both played really well," McLellan said. `Al' has been snakebit a little bit, he hasn't been getting on the scoresheet, so to get the winner on the power play is a nice sign for him."
Chychrun's 17th goal, the most among NHL defensemen, gave Arizona a 2-1 lead on a power play 53 seconds into the second period. Conor Garland, who missed the previous six games with a lower-body injury, had the primary assist.

Dvorak cut through the slot and scored on a backhand shot off Crouse's pass from beyond the goal line for a 1-0 Arizona lead at 17:10 of the first. He has two goals in his past two games after having two in his previous 17 games.
Moore was first to the puck following a face-off in the left circle and snapped a shot past Kuemper to make it 1-1 at 17:45.
NOTES: Kopitar has 83 points (21 goals, 62 assists) in 81 games against the Coyotes. … The Kings are 4-3-0 against the Coyotes. … Arizona has lost six of eight (2-5-1). … The Coyotes played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with defenseman Jordan Oesterle playing for the first time in 12 games. … Coyotes forward Phil Kessel is one point short of 900 NHL points. … Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz was held out with an upper-body injury after a puck deflected off a crossbar and struck him during pre-game warmups."We have a tough time scoring as it is," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. "Nick's the guy that drives the offense for us."