BUFFALO -- Anze Kopitar scored a natural hat trick in the third period, including the go-ahead goal with 1:38 remaining, for the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-1 win in their season opener against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday.
Kopitar gets natural hat trick in 3rd, Kings open with win against Sabres
Breaks tie on power play with 1:38 remaining, Kuemper makes 32 saves for Los Angeles
By
Heather Engel
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
“I don't think the team got frustrated at all, really,” Kopitar said. “I mean, even though our game was not nearly as sharp as we want it to be, we were down one goal going into the third period on the road. And they've played a couple of games already. This is our first so-called real game. You're just trying to find something, really, and it's one shot that can change the momentum of the game. And luckily we found it in third.”
Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves for the Kings. He was acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on June 19.
Alex Tuch scored a short-handed goal, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 20 saves for the Sabres (0-3-0).
“I think we did a little bit better job (of playing to our identity), I think, leading up until we gave up a soft goal in the third,” Tuch said. “We started playing a little bit on our heels and didn’t get back to our game nearly enough and shift after shift like we were in the first couple periods. Disappointing is an understatement. It’s a good first 40, but we have to be able to play 60 to win in this league.”
Kopitar tied it 1-1 just 13 seconds into the third period. He received a pass in the slot from Alex Laferriere and beat Luukkonen glove side.
“Great play by ‘Lafs’,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “Lafs strips the puck, and that's a strong hand one-timer by ‘Kopi.' … Not a lot of guys who can do that. And to continue to do that year after year and score a type of goal like that just goes to show the quality of player that he is.”
Kopitar then put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 at 18:22, scoring a power-play goal from the top of the left circle.
Kopitar completed the natural hat trick with an empty-net goal with 42 seconds remaining for the 3-1 final. It was his seventh career hat trick, passing Wayne Gretzky and Dustin Brown for sixth-most in Kings history, and his second in a season-opening game.
“He's the guy that we all look up to,” Kuemper said. “He's played in so many big games, and that's just leadership. Things maybe aren't going the way we want them to and he just goes out there and gets one right away, gets us back in it. Then to get the game-winner, and then to seal it with the hat trick, that's pretty special. He's just an incredible player.”
Tuch scored on a short-handed breakaway to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead at 16:55 of the second period. Kuemper got a piece of the initial shot with his glove, but Tuch stayed with it and lifted the rebound over the goalie’s left pad.
The Sabres outshot the Kings 27-11 through the first two periods and had several chances to score with five power plays, including a 5-on-3 for more than a minute in the first period.
“We had numerous opportunities,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “… We’re not going to win scoring one goal a game, but we played probably as close to our identity that we want throughout the whole game.”
Kuemper also made a stick save on Ryan McLeod on a short-handed wraparound attempt in the first period before denying the Buffalo forward again moments later on a penalty shot during the same Los Angeles power play.
“I've been feeling good about my game,” Kuemper said. “I really like playing behind this group. They're super predictable and make the reads pretty easy. And you’ve just got to trust the boys. You know, the firepower that we have in this room, guys like obviously Kopi just putting the team on his back in the third. So, you know it's going to come eventually. We had that belief in this room at intermission, and we went out and got the win.”
NOTES: Kopitar became the seventh player in NHL history to score a natural hat trick in a season-opening game, joining Brock Boeser (Oct. 11, 2023, Vancouver Canucks), Connor McDavid (Oct. 4, 2017, Edmonton Oilers), Radim Vrbata (Oct. 3, 2013, Phoenix Coyotes), Ray Getliffe (Nov. 6, 1937, Boston Bruins), Billy Boucher (Nov. 29, 1924, Montreal Canadiens) and Bert Corbeau (Dec. 24, 1919, Canadiens). … Kopitar has 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 18 season-opening games, the most amongst active players and fourth-most in NHL history. … Kings forward Andre Lee played 5:54 and had two shots in his NHL debut. … Sabres forward Jason Zucker played in his 700th NHL game.
