Kopitar has 2 points, Kings defeat Senators for 3rd win in row

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings got their first three-game winning streak of the season with a 5-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist, David Rittich made 20 saves, and the Kings (14-8-3) swept both games of a back-to-back after winning 2-1 at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

“Just got to keep it rolling,” Moore said. “Just keep building the right direction. I feel like we’re getting better.”

Tim Stutzle had a goal to extend his point streak to six games, Adam Gaudette scored for the third straight game, and the Senators (10-12-1) lost in the first game of a back-to-back before visiting the Ducks on Sunday. Anton Forsberg made 22 saves.

“Historically, we know this is a hard building,” Ottawa defenseman Travis Hamonic said. “They’re a team that doesn’t give you a lot, and they’re playing some good hockey as of late, the last couple.”

Kopitar put the Kings back up 3-2 at 1:37 of the third period with a chest-high backhand to put in Moore’s rebound.

“I was looking over to ‘Juice’ [Adrian Kempe], but I just felt like maybe throw it towards the net and see if something happens there,” Moore said. “And, you know, ‘Kopi’ does Kopi things.”

Kempe made it 4-2 with a one-timer from the right circle on the power play at 16:14. Ottawa had been penalized for too many men on the ice for the second time.

“We played hard enough to get a point or get a win, but we made a couple of mistakes that I don’t think were from them earning the goal,” Senators coach Travis Green said.

Moore scored an empty-net goal at 18:26 for the 5-2 final. He did not play against the Ducks because of illness.

“Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better,” Moore said. “Down a few pounds, but training staff was awesome and got me good to go tonight.”

Los Angeles has allowed four goals during its past three games after giving up five goals in the third period of a 7-2 loss at the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The defense has allowed two goals or fewer in six of the past seven games (5-2-0).

“Defensively, I think we’ve been pretty stingy for a while now,” Moore said. “That’s the Kings’ identity they’ve had here for a long time, and I don’t think you want to blow that up and start just playing run and gun hockey. So I think we’ve done that well, and the goals are coming.”

The Kings went up 1-0 1:57 into the first period on Alex Laferriere’s 11th goal. He scored on a one-timer from the right circle that beat Forsberg five-hole.

Ottawa tied it 1-1 at 19:14 on a wrist shot by Stutzle that went through Rittich’s legs. Stutzle has eight points (three goals, five assists) during his streak.

Gaudette put the Senators up 2-1 at 6:11 of the second period, redirecting Thomas Chabot’s slap shot from the blue line. It was Gaudette’s fourth goal in three games.

Fiala tied it at 2-2 at 7:26 on a wrist shot from the left circle.

“It gets to 2-2, and we just didn’t have enough, obviously, in the third period,” Hamonic said. “We’ve got to be better.”

NOTES: Kings forward Trevor Lewis sustained a lower-body injury in the first period. Lewis played 1:14 in two shifts before exiting. Kings coach Jim Hiller did not have an update as to the exact nature of the injury but said “it looks like he’s going to be out for a while.” … Senators forward Drake Batherson had an assist to extend his point streak to six games (two goals, six assists). … Kopitar had the primary assist on Moore’s goal. It was Kopitar’s 1,240th point (427 goals, 813 assists) in 1,398 NHL games, passing Peter Stastny (1,239) for 42nd in career points.