Kings' High-energy Comeback Falls Short In Loss To Nhl-leading Avalanche

Devon Toews scored nan tiebreaking extremity precocious successful nan 3rd period, Martin Necas added an empty-netter to spell pinch 2 assists, and nan Colorado Avalanche defeated nan Kings 4-2 connected Monday night.

Toews sewage free successful nan slot and converted Nathan MacKinnon’s walk pinch 4:55 remaining to thief nan Avalanche (40-10-9) go nan first NHL squad pinch 40 wins this season.

MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each had a extremity and an assist. Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves for Colorado, which has won 5 of seven.

Brandt Clarke had a power-play goal, Angus Booth scored successful his NHL debut, and Anton Forsberg made 35 saves for nan Kings, who were playing their first crippled since firing coach Jim Hiller connected Sunday and replacing him connected an interim ground pinch D.J. Smith.

The Kings were besides missing 7 cardinal players because of wounded aliases illness, including medalists from nan Olympic lucky tourney astatine nan Milan-Cortina Games successful defenseman Drew Doughty, guardant Joel Armia and goalie Darcy Kuemper. Those absences led to nan Kings giving 3 players their NHL debuts successful Booth, halfway Kenny Connors and winger Jared Wright.

The Avalanche capitalized early, scoring doubly successful nan opening 10:13 connected one-timers from MacKinnon and Landeskog, earlier nan Kings responded pinch a power-play extremity from Clarke precocious successful nan first period.

An early whistle wiped retired Necas putting successful a rebound early successful nan second, and Booth sewage to nan apical of nan crease to extremity successful Brian Dumoulin’s centering walk to necktie it 2-all astatine 8:32.

Up adjacent for nan Kings: vs. New York Islanders astatine Crypto.com Arena connected Thursday.