Anze Kopitar rallies Kings past Flyers with late pair

Field Level Media|published: Mon 30th December, 24:02 2024

Dec 19, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) celebrate win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Anze Kopitar scored a pair of third-period goals, Adrian Kempe added a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied for a 5-4 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday to increase their home winning streak to seven games.

Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele added goals and David Rittich made 17 saves for the Kings, who improved to 10-2-2 dating to Nov. 27, with a pair of victories over the Flyers in the stretch.

Kopitar moved into a tie with Dave Taylor for third place on the Kings' all-time goals-scored list with 431 in 19 seasons.

Scott Laughton and Matvei Michkov each scored a goal with an assist for the Flyers, while Tyson Foerster and Joel Farabee also had goals. Aleksei Kolosov made 15 saves for Philadelphia, which lost for the fifth time in its past seven games (2-5-0).

With the Kings trailing 4-3 entering the third period, Kopitar scored after a Kolosov save on a shot from Quinton Byfield to tie the score at 6:44. Kopitar scored the game-winner just over two minutes later when he tipped in a Kempe shot after he had just won a faceoff in the Philadelphia zone.

The Kings took a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the game when Fiala scored his 14th of the season from the left circle on a shot that went through the legs of Laughton.

The Flyers received their first of two first-period goals from Foerster at 8:17 period in a four-on-four situation. Laughton gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead less than six minutes later.

The Kings tied it 2-2 at 16:54 of the opening period when Kempe scored his 17th of the season.

Philadelphia used a 2:39 stretch of the second period to score a pair of goals and take a 4-2 lead. Michkov redirected the puck off Rittich's left skate at 11:03 of the period to give the Flyers the lead and Farabee scored on a wrist shot at 13:42.

The Kings got a goal back when Foegele scored his 11th of the season and fourth over the past seven games at 15:04 of the second period to get Los Angeles within 4-3.

--Field Level Media

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