Kings tie NHL record with 10th straight road win to start season
Drew Doughty scored 33 seconds into overtime and the Kings rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Tuesday night for their NHL record-tying 10th straight road win to start a season.
Phoenix Copley stopped 26 for the Kings, who have won seven of their last eight games and matched the road win streak of the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres.
Phillip Danault scored twice, Arthur Kaliyev added a goal and Vladislav Gavrikov contributed a pair of assists in his first game back in Columbus after being traded to Los Angeles in March.
“We definitely woke up in the third period, that one was better, and just took charge,” Danault said.
Kirill Marchenko, Johnny Gaudreau and Mathieu Olivier scored, and Elvis Merzlikins stopped 35 for Columbus, which has lost eight games this season after holding a lead in the final 20 minutes.
“We played solid for two periods, really sticking to the plan and winning battles, and then in the third we started to not be tight, and not close, and not get the puck out,” Blue Jackets caoch Pascale Vincent said. “We’re learning the hard way what it takes to win. Up 3-0 in this league and you’re home — you’ve got to close it, and we didn’t.”
The first two periods were all Columbus, as the Blue Jackets built a three-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes, helped by a first period, power-play goal from Marchenko, and second-period scores from Gaudreau and Olivier.
“Our team feels good about itself,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We have confidence, but with confidence comes responsibility and we didn’t have a lot of it early in the game.”
The Kings charged back with three goals in the first 6:38 of the third period, including a pair from Danault and one from Kaliyev, before Doughty’s overtime winner.