Kings squander 2-goal lead as Lightning hand them 6th straight loss
By MARK DIDTLER The Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. — The Kings were well-positioned to end their losing streak but instead ended up on the wrong end of another one-goal game.
Nick Perbix scored 2:02 into overtime and the Tampa Bay Lightning rallied from two goals down in the third period to hand the Kings their sixth consecutive loss, 3-2, on Tuesday night.
Jon Cooper became the third-fastest NHL coach to win 500 games. Scotty Bowman (825) and Bruce Boudreau (837) were the only ones to get there faster than Cooper’s 839 games. Cooper is the fastest to do it with one franchise, and 29th overall to reach the milestone.
Perbix ended a 40-game goal drought with his game-winner.
Tyler Motte and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots and is 10-9-0 since returning from back surgery during training camp.
Cam Talbot made 26 saves, and Phillip Danault and Matt Roy had the Kings’ goals. Trevor Moore, who became the 37th undrafted player to play in 300 games, had two assists for the Kings, who are 0-3-3 during their skid.
Motte scored at 12:37 of the third, and Hagel tied it at 2-all just 3:02 later.
Danault, off a nifty goal-line pass from Jordan Spence, and Roy scored 2:59 apart midway through the second.
Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli had a goal with 4:45 left in the second taken away following a double review.
The center lifted the puck into the net from between Talbot’s pads while the goalie was on his back. It appeared the shot may have come after the whistle was blown, but it was initially ruled a good goal after a video review.
Kings coach Todd McLellan then asked for a review for goaltender interference. Officials determined there was indeed interference, so the Kings maintained their 2-0 lead.
UP NEXT
The Kings will play at Florida on Thursday at 4 p.m.
More to come on this story.