DETROIT (AP) — Phillip Danault scored 1:12 into overtime for his second goal of the game, and the Los Angeles Kings handed the Detroit Red Wings their first loss with a 5-4 victory on Monday night.
Danault’s winning shot in front hit a defender’s skate and bounced into the net.
Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, giving him 47 points in 42 games against Detroit. That’s the second-most among active players, trailing only Chicago star Patrick Kane at 56 points.
Adrian Kempe supplied his fourth goal and assisted on Kopitar’s goal. Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the Kings (2-2-0). Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.
Los Angeles has won its last two games despite allowing 10 goals.
“We’re getting better, but we still have a lot to do,” Danault said. “The last two games were unacceptable and we all know that. We want to be better as a line and we want to better as a team. We solved some things tonight, but there’s more to fix.”
Wings forward Oskar Sundqvist scored in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime. David Perron had two goals and an assist for Detroit (2-0-1), and Adam Erne added a goal. Ville Husso made 31 saves.
Kopitar dove toward a loose puck situated just behind Husso and knocked it in with 6:44 remaining in regulation. His first goal this season gave Los Angeles a 4-3 lead.
Sundqvist tied it with 40.9 seconds left shortly after Dylan Larkin prevented an empty-net goal, knocking the puck off Viktor Arvidsson’s stick.
“It was an amazing play,” coach Derek Lalonde said of Larkin’s effort. “He never gave up on it. I just think it’s a good message.”
Detroit’s net was still empty when Sundqvist delivered his tying goal.
“We’re starting to play the right way more and more,” Perron said. “It was great to see that fight there in the third period, to get that one back and get a big point.”
The Kings managed to refocus after Arvidsson failed to score what should have been a clinching goal in regulation.
“We have some guys on this team with a lot of experience and they got everyone calmed down and ready for overtime,” coach Todd McLellan said. “I saw a bunch of guys telling Arvie to not worry about it and they were going to win it for him, but we can’t put ourselves in that position very often.”
Erne scored on a 2-on-1 break 4:26 into the game. The Kings tied it 19 seconds later on Vilardi’s third goal of the season.
Los Angeles grabbed the advantage at 14:40 when Kempe ripped a shot from the right circle over Husso’s right shoulder.
Dominik Kubalik set up Perron’s one-timer from the left circle midway through the second, tying it at 2.
The Kings regained the lead later in the period when Trevor Moore found Danault heading toward the net just after Detroit killed off a penalty.
Perron scored Detroit’s first power-play goal this season with 8:46 left in regulation with another shot from the left circle.
“It wasn’t perfect all the time throughout the first three games here but the way we approached every period, every game, there’s a lot of positives,” Larkin said.
NOTES: F Tyler Bertuzzi will miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, according to Lalonde. Bertuzzi was injured while blocking a shot at New Jersey on Saturday. ... Detroit F Jakub Vrana missed the game due to personal reasons. ... Kings F Alex Iafallo recorded his 100th career assist in the first period.
UP NEXT
Kings: At Nashville on Tuesday.
Red Wings: At Chicago on Friday.
