Quinton Byfield scores OT winner as Kings down Maple Leafs
Quinton Byfield scored his second goal of the game at 2:33 of overtime Saturday night and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 7-6.
The Kings took a 6-4 lead with three goals in 1:36 in the third period and Toronto rallied to tie the game.
Toronto's William Nylander was stopped on a breakaway before the Kings broke the other way to get the winner.
Adrian Kempe had two goals and two assists for the Kings (31-26-19, 81 points). Artemi Panarin added a goal and two assists while Samuel Helenius and Alex Laferriere also scored. Trevor Moore contributed two assists. Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots for the Kings.
Matthew Knies had two goals and an assist and John Tavares had a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs (32-31-14, 78 points). Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Nicholas Robertson also scored. Joseph Woll made 33 saves.
Knies scored at 4:19 of the first period from Max Domi's pass following a Kings neutral-zone turnover. The teams were playing with four skaters each.
Lorentz scored a short-handed goal at 13:42 of the first after stealing the puck from Anze Kopitar at the Los Angeles blue line. Domi was serving a double minor for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Byfield drove to the net and tipped in Jared Wright's pass at 1:11 of the second period.
Mikey Anderson left the penalty box to intercept Woll's clearing attempt and fed Kempe, who snapped home the tying goal at 3:55 of the second.
Toronto put the puck in the net twice soon after but they were nullified for offside and for having too many men on the ice, respectively.
Tavares scored a power-play goal at 9:18 of the second. Brian Dumoulin was off for hooking.
Panarin re-directed Brandt Clarke's pass to tie the game at 14:53.
Toronto regained the lead on Cowan's power-play goal at 19:47 of the second. Joel Armia was off for holding.
Kempe tied the game from the high slot at 5:46 of the third period. Helenius scored 28 seconds later to give the Kings the lead and Laferiere scored at 7:22.
Robertson answered for Toronto at 9:37 and Knies tied the game at 13.29 of the third.

