October 11 – Anze Kopitar scored a hat trick in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Buffalo Sabres 3–1 on Thursday night.
When Los Angeles was trailing 1-0, the 37-year-old Kopital scored 13 seconds into the third quarter. Then, in the final seconds of the Kings’ five-on-three power play, Kopital scored from the low point with 1:38 remaining in regulation. The veteran scored on an empty net with 42 seconds remaining in the Kings’ season opener.
Meanwhile, Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves for Los Angeles, which jumped out to a 27–11 lead over the first two periods.
Alex Tuch scored a goal and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 19 shots for Buffalo, which lost to the New Jersey Devils in Prague last week (New Jersey Devils) Two games later, Buffalo lost again. The Sabres are 0-for-5 on the power play this season and have scored a total of three goals.
Buffalo outscored the Kings 13-5 in the first quarter. Ryan McLeod earned a penalty kick after Los Angeles’ Quinton Byfield fouled him with 7:07 remaining. However, McLeod did not get a single strike against Kuemper.
The Sabres thought they had the lead in the final seconds of the first half, but a review determined Jake Benson’s successful rebound conversion after the horn sounded.
Buffalo’s chances kept coming in the middle of the field. With 7:39 left in the game, Tage Thompson’s wrist shot went wide of the net. Moments later, Luukonen fouled Byfield on a two-on-one opportunity for the Kings.
Buffalo finally got on the board with a little over three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Shorthanded, Los Angeles’ Alex Turcotte turned the puck over at center ice. Tahey regained possession, got distance and knocked the rebound of his own shot off Kuemper’s glove.
However, in the opening seconds of the third period, the Kings’ Alex Laferriere took the puck from Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin and passed it to a charging Coco.
The Sabres nearly took the lead again with 6:07 left in the game, but Bowen Byram’s laser shot hit the crossbar.
——Visual-level media
