Slow-starting Kings come back to beat Blues

[January 22, 2019]  Anze Kopitar and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist for the Los Angeles Kings in a 4-3 win against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Monday afternoon.

Brendan Leipsic had two assists, defensemen Drew Doughty and Paul LaDue also scored and Jonathan Quick made 33 saves on his 33rd birthday, helping send his team into a 12-day break on a positive note.

Mackenzie MacEachern scored his first NHL goal for the Blues, Oskar Sundqvist and Ryan O'Reilly also scored, Ivan Barbashev had two assists and Jordan Binnington made 25 saves for St. Louis.

LaDue, a healthy scratch the past 10 games, scored off a feed from Leipsic to give the Kings a 4-3 lead at 9:53 of the third period.

The Kings came in 5-22-3 when allowing the first goal this season, and they fell behind 2-0 before scoring three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead into the third period.

O'Reilly scored on a power play six minutes into the third to tie the score 3-3. O'Reilly took a shot from the left circle and the puck nicked off the stick of Kings defenseman Derek Forbort and into the net.

MacEachern, playing in his fifth NHL game since he was recalled from the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League on Jan. 10, gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 10:31 of the first period.

Sundqvist made it 2-0 at 18:49 after redirecting a centering pass from Barbashev over Quick's outstretched right pad and under his right arm.

Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) moves the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Derek Forbort (24) during the third period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Toffoli scored 15 seconds later to cut the lead to 2-1.

Barbashev tried to pass the puck out from behind his net, but it hit Toffoli's skate and went to Leipsic above the left circle. He took a couple of strides before sliding a pass to Toffoli on the opposite side and he scored into the open net.

The Kings had a two-man advantage when Doughty scored on a slap shot from the top of the right circle to tie the score 2-2 at 7:15 of the second period.

Kopitar gave Los Angeles the 3-2 lead with his team-leading 14th goal at 18:16 of the third period.

--Field Level Media

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