Late Night Loss: Kings Rally to Beat Panthers

Despite another strong effort from Spencer Knight, the Los Angeles Kings got two hard-working goals in the third and beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night.

Florida held a 1-0 lead going into the third, but Samuel Helenius tied the score on a loose puck before Adrian Kempe won it with a deflection in front.

Knight made 26 saves and has given up five goals in his past five games.

The Panthers opened the scoring on a power-play goal — but not the one Sasha Barkov beat Darcy Kuemper with late in the first period.

Barkov chopped at a puck near the mouth than went underneath the Kings goalie, only an official blew the whistle too early and the goal did not count.

Florida did get a power-play goal at 7:28 of the second, Anton Lundell sending a sharp, no-look backhanded pass across the goalmouth to a wide-open Evan Rodrigues.

The Kings tied it on their 17th shot of the night, Helenius getting his first NHL goal by sweeping a loose puck through.

NOTES: PANTHERS @ KINGS

• The Kings have recorded at least a point in eight straight games against the Panthers (7-0-1) dating back to Feb. 20, 2020. The only teams they have a longer active streak against are the Blackhawks (8-0-3) and Senators (7-0-3).
• Florida has lost its past five games in Los Angeles.
• Knight had a scoreless streak that lasted 2 hours 31:06 before the Kings scored in the third. His previous goal came at 2:27 of the third against New Jersey on Jan. 14. That included the rest of the Jersey game, relief of Sergei Bobrovsky against Detroit, and the shutout of the Ducks on Saturday.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Kings 0 (7:28 2nd PP): Anton Lundell backhands a pass across the crease to a waiting Evan Rodrigues — who gets his fourth goal in the past seven games.
• Kings 1, Panthers 1 (6:41 3rd): Tanner Jeannot pokes at a loose puck in front of Spencer Knight and gives it just enough of a nudge to allow Samuel Helenius to sweep it in for his first NHL goal.
• Kings 2, Panthers 1 (13:12 3rd): The Kings won a faceoff, kept possession, with Adrian Kempe deflecting a shot from Kevin Fiala.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles
• 2. Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles
• 3. Spencer Knight, Florida