Kings rally past Avalanche in shootout, extend point streak to 7

DENVER -- The Los Angeles Kings extended their point streak to seven games by rallying for a 5-4 shootout win against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Thursday.

Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist, and Pheonix Copley made 23 saves for the Kings (21-12-6), who are 6-0-1 during their streak. Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe scored in the shootout.
"The overall response was a big thing," Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said. "Getting the power play early and capitalizing obviously gave us some life. From there, we had to check our way. We weren't, obviously, real good in the second period. I thought we cheated an awful lot, and against the team like that, they make you pay every time you try it. And we fixed some of that in the third."
Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, Evan Rodrigues had a goal and an assist, and Mikko Rantanen had two assists for the Avalanche (19-12-3), who have lost two in a row after winning their previous four. Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves.
"I didn't hate the start, but I didn't love it either," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "I didn't like the first goal that we gave up, and I didn't like the last rush goal that we gave up. I thought we had a good third period, I just don't like the goals we gave up. Too easy. It's a tough league, and those two goals were too easy. Both of them. Both those rush goals."
Iafallo cut it to 4-3 at 1:11 of the third period, beating Georgiev over his blocker from in front during a power play.
"The power play, they used some of the information we gave them before the game. [It] was maybe one of the areas they did," McLellan said. "Couple power plays earlier, we were quite frustrated, but we stuck with it. Moved the puck around quickly and capitalized when they had chances."

Sean Walker tied it 4-4 at 14:20 when he toe-dragged Samuel Girard in the high slot and beat Georgiev again blocker side.
"I was prepared to dump it in," Walker said. "[Blake Lizotte], he called for it, so I made the play to him (in the neutral zone). Then he got it to [Kevin Fiala], and he made a nice pass. 'Kev' made a nice play, and I shot the puck in the net. Glad it went in."
Gabriel Vilardi gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead at 8:56 of the first period with a shot from the right face-off circle off a drop pass from Jaret Anderson-Dolan.
Vilardi has 16 goals in 38 games this season after scoring 15 in 79 games the previous two seasons.
"Often that's the line that makes the difference. Third line, maybe second pair, special teams, and a goaltender," McLellan said. "If our third line can keep contributing and manage to stay on the plus side, then we'll win more than we lose."

J.T. Compher tied it 1-1 at 4:36 of the second period, shooting into an open net to complete a tic-tac-toe passing play with Rodrigues and Rantanen on a power play.
Phillip Danault put the Kings back in front 2-1 at 13:59 with a one-timer off a pass from Arvidsson for his own power-play goal.
"Usually the penalty kill outworks the power play, but I think we all just wanted the puck, all just wanted to score," Kings forward
Quinton Byfield
said, "We are all just in the right spots, lot of communication."
Andrew Cogliano tied it 2-2 at 15:58, skating down the right wing and scoring with a shot that went under Copley's blocker.
Makar then scored 45 seconds later at 16:43 to give Colorado a 3-2 lead. After intercepting a pass from Mikey Anderson in the neutral zone, he skated into the top of the left circle and shot back across the grain to beat Copley glove side.
"It wasn't a long burst. I thought it was a pretty hard-fought game," Bednar said. "Hard to create offense, but we did some really good things on our forecheck, and our [defensive] gaps were really good there for about a four- or five-minute stretch, and it helped us big time. We created some turnovers, we were tenacious on pucks, and we finished off a couple chances in a row."

Rodrigues extended the lead to 4-2 at 18:47, finishing a touch pass from Rantanen at the right post.
"Yeah, it was an elite play. I didn't think he saw me," Rodrigues said. "He wasn't even facing the net, he was facing the other corner. Just [an] elite play."
NOTES: Makar's goal was his 57th with the Avalanche, passing Adam Foote for sixth among defensemen in their history. It was also his 30th multiassist game, passing Rob Blake for third among defensemen in Avalanche/Nordiques history. Only Sandis Ozolinsh (35) and Tyson Barrie (33) have more. … Danault extended his point streak to six games (four goals, four assists), and Iafallo extended his point streak to five (four goals, three assists).