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#LAKings Kings celebrate Anze Kopitar before being eliminated from playoff mix (Daily News)

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  • Kings center Anze Kopitar kisses his son Jakob, center, as his daughter Neza watches as Kopitar is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar, center right, is hugged by teammate Drew Doughty as Kopitar is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) enters the rink before he is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar waves to the crowd as he is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar waves to the crowd as he is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Kings center Anze Kopitar, third from left, smiles at team president Luc Robitaille, far left, as Kopitar is honored for his 1,000th career point before Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. Also pictured are Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, second from left, right wing Dustin Brown (23) and goaltender Jonathan Quick. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings left wing Brendan Lemieux (48) scores past Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen (40) stops a shot in front of Colorado Avalanche center Tyson Jost (17) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen (40) gives up a goal on a shot from Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, bottom right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (96) celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) controls the puck next to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (7) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche defenseman Patrik Nemeth (24) collides with Los Angeles Kings right wing Carl Grundstrom (91) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche center Tyson Jost (17) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen, left, reaches for the puck in front of Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Moore (12) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) jumps over Los Angeles Kings center Adrian Kempe (9) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) stops a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings center Gabriel Vilardi (13) collides with Colorado Avalanche left wing Andre Burakovsky (95) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Los Angeles Kings center Andreas Athanasiou (22) works against Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) gives up a goal on a shot from Los Angeles Kings center Gabriel Vilardi, not seen, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

  • Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) celebrates a win over the Los Angeles Kings with center Tyson Jost (17) during an NHL hockey game Friday, May 7, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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On a night when the Kings celebrated team captain Anze Kopitar’s 1,000th point with all the appropriate pomp and circumstance, they gave him few opportunities for No. 1,001 in their 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night at Staples Center.
Despite scoring first, the Kings spent almost the entire night on their heels and on the ropes, weathering a mix of jabs and heavy punches from a relentless Colorado club.
While the loss was an all-too-common sight for the Kings, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention Friday, the pregame ceremony was a once-in-a-career event.
Kopitar shared the ice and some moving moments with his family, General Manager Rob Blake, team president Luc Robitaille and his teammates. He embraced the other longest-tenured Kings – winger Dustin Brown, defenseman Drew Doughty and goalie Jonathan Quick – and received his golden stick.
“I thought it was very classy, very well-done and certainly deserving. Our players were really excited about being out there and participating in it,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “Kopi has so much respect in this locker room. Injured guys, guys that weren’t dressed for tonight’s game, they made sure they were there … it was 99.9 percent good, the only thing that was missing was a full arena.”
The commemoration also included a video montage and a congratulatory message from Slovenian President Borut Pahor for the most accomplished athlete in the country’s history. It concluded with a fireworks display.
“Dear Anze, it is such a privilege and an honor that you do treat me as a friend. I wish you all the best, and congratulations,” Pahor said.
Winger Brendan Lemieux and center Gabe Vilardi each scored for the Kings, and Cal Petersen made 33 saves.
Winger Mikko Rantanen, center Tyson Jost and defenseman Cale Makar scored for Colorado. Makar added an assist and winger Andre Burakovsky contributed two. Philipp Grubauer beefed up his Vezina Trophy resume despite requiring just 15 saves.
Both sides had their share of unwelcome injury news Friday. The Kings shut down Brown for the season because of a lingering upper-body injury, and the Avalanche scratched star center Nathan MacKinnon shortly before the game with a lower-body issue.
“No MacKinnon, no (Samuel) Girard, (Brandon) Saad’s out, by the time the playoffs get around and they get healthy, that’s why they’re one of the favorites to win,” McLellan said. “It’s a real good game for us to play and for us to evaluate where individuals are.”
In the third period, the Kings struggled to generate offense even with the green light to take chances, and also had to kill a 4-minute penalty late in the game. They did add intrigue to the finish with a goal in the final three minutes.
Again it was a quick shot, this time from winger Lias Andersson, that generated a rebound goal, this one by Vilardi. It was Vilardi’s third goal in his last two games, both of which have seen him flanked by Andersson and Iafallo, who wore the alternate captain’s “A” for the first time Wednesday in Brown’s stead.
“It’s been fun (playing together). I feel like we communicate very well. We’re kind of talking on every shift, whether it’s on the bench or on the ice,” Iafallo said.
They drew no closer with a 6-on-5 advantage after pulling Petersen.
The Avalanche outshot the Kings 18-5 in the first period and followed up with a 13-5 second-period advantage.
Late in the middle period, the Kings finally earned a solid opportunity when Kopitar gained the offensive zone and sent a cross-ice pass to winger Adrian Kempe with momentum at his back. He deked Grubauer out of position but pushed a point-blank shot wide of the net.
Colorado had already mounted a two-goal lead at that point, off of one goal that was a blooper and another that was a highlight.
Makar scored two seconds after the game’s midpoint as he received the second of two drop passes and glided powerfully across the slot. He bobbed, weaved and waited out Petersen as Makar cruised unmolested through prime real estate to rifle a wrist shot for his seventh goal and 41st point of 2021.
“They’re so good off the rush and so good off transition. They do such a good job of drawing players to the puck and finding open people off of it,” McLellan said. “Makar’s goal was a prime example of it. We all migrate to the puck and they hit the late guy.”
About seven minutes earlier, the Avs took their first lead off an ostensibly harmless play. Jost was pushed to the outside on the rush and flicked a weak shot along the ice that caught Petersen slightly off-balance, heading between his pads and into the net for Jost’s fifth goal.
In the opening period, an early penalty pitted the Avs’ eighth-ranked power play against the Kings’ superlative penalty kill, and it was the Colorado quintet prevailing.
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A dogged recovery of a shot reinitiated the Avalanche attack. It was Makar high in the zone faking a shot and delivering a seam pass to Rantanen for a one-timer and the winger’s 30th goal of the year after 5:49 had elapsed. His career-high is 31, which he might surpass even in this abbreviated season.
The Kings’ night began with literal pyrotechnics and after the puck dropped they had their first and one of very few offensive explosions of the night.
Winger Carl Grundstrom held the puck as he curled from the right-wing wall toward the blue line and flung a shot at Grubauer’s pad, producing a rebound that Lemieux popped home 2:12 into the game. It was Lemieux’s fourth goal of the season and his second in 14 games as a King since being acquired on March 27.
Friday was also center Quinton Byfield’s sixth and final NHL game this season. McLellan said Byfield earned his trust and was highly receptive to coaching. He also said he anticipated Byfield being a full-time King next season.
“He’s certainly an NHL player at the age of 18,” McLellan said. “I can’t wait to see him when he’s 22.”


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