Just seconds away from victory, the Los Angeles Kings had their lead evaporated before falling to the Seattle Kraken 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday night at Climate Commitment Arena. The loss ended a six-game winning streak for Seattle and a two-game winning streak for Los Angeles.
Vince Dunn’s dagger shot in overtime sealed the dramatic comeback for Seattle’s second consecutive unanswered goal. It was only his fifth game of the season and second since Nov. 15.
Matty Beniers came to the rescue for the Krakens late in the third period, scoring a desperation goal to tie the game at 2 with less than 25 seconds left in regulation. Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg’s key tripping penalty resulted in a shorthanded game, allowing Seattle to score its third power-play score of the night.
Forsberg stopped 30 of 33 shots and fell to 4-2-3. The 33-year-old has gone to overtime in each of his past three games since Nov. 20.
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Previously, Kevin Fiala helped the Kings gain a 2-1 advantage with his team-leading 11th point of the season. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar worked well together to bring the puck up the ice and find Fiala trying to beat Seattle netminder Joey Daccord.
Fiala continued a promising run of away form, extending his away points tally to five consecutive defeats. He now has seven points in his last six games against the Kraken and has 19 points in 15 career games against the team.
After a scoreless first period, both teams traded goals in the second period, with Jared McCann’s fifth goal of the season giving the Kraken a 1-0 lead. Alex LaFerriere responded less than five minutes later, giving the Kings their sixth shorthanded score of the season.
Being efficient despite being shorthanded has been an area of strength for Los Angeles this year, currently allowing more points shorthanded than any other club in the NHL. Neither team scored at even strength Wednesday night.
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The Kings have won three of their last four games at Climate Commitment Arena and have a 5-1-1 all-time record in the Emerald City. There are still three games between the two sides this season, and the next two games will be at Cryptonet arena.
With two road games quickly underway, Los Angeles will return home to face the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. Despite a slow start to the season overall (second last in the Pacific Division), Calgary has won three of its last four games to regain some momentum.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.
