Kevin Fiala, Kings keep rolling on offense in win over Coyotes
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, Anze Kopitar scored on the power play and had an assist, and the Kings defeated the Arizona Coyotes 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Trevor Lewis, Trevor Moore, Blake Lizotte and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who had been winless in their first three games on home ice. Pheonix Copley made 24 saves.
Clayton Keller had a power-play goal as he scored for the third straight game, Jack McBain and Nick Bjugstad also scored, but the Coyotes couldn’t get their third straight win.
Connor Ingram was replaced midway through the first period after allowing three goals on nine shots. Karel Vejmelka replaced him and made 15 saves.
The Kings shook off a sluggish start, allowing McBain to get to a rebound and put the Coyotes up 2:59 into the game, and responded with three straight goals to close out the first.
Kopitar tied it up on the power play after drawing a hooking penalty, scoring on a one-timer set up by Fiala’s eighth assist during a five-game streak of helpers to start the season.
Los Angeles went in front 2-1 on Lewis’ first goal of his second stint with the team, putting in a wrist shot from the left circle as the trailing man coming into the zone.
Moore ended Ingram’s night with under eight minutes to go in the period, though the goalie was not at fault for leaving Moore unmarked attacking the back post to put in Phillip Danault’s pass through the slot.
The NHL will allow players to use stick tape in support of social causes, reversing a ban the Coyotes’ Travis Dermott defied by using Pride Tape on Saturday.
It was not the shortest start of Ingram’s three seasons in the NHL. He was pulled after 11:18 in November 2022 against the Dallas Stars when he gave up three goals on 10 shots.
Arizona cut it to a one-goal deficit twice in the second period. Bjugstad’s goal was canceled out by Lizotte’s response 1:22 later, but Keller buried a one-timer on the power play late in the middle stanza to pull within 4-3.
Fiala all but locked up the Kings’ first home win of the season with his first goal 5:35 into the third period. Vladislav Gavrikov’s shot from distance trickled through Vejmelka’s legs, and Fiala was able to bat it in.
