TAMPA, Fla. — The goal-starved Kings ended their three-game trip on a high note.
Adrian Kempe scored twice in the second period, and the Kings rallied from a one-goal deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Thursday night.
Anton Forsberg, in goal for the second night in a row, stopped 31 shots to help the Kings snap a four-game skid (0-2-2) and get just their third win in the past nine games (3-4-2). They improved to 11-4-5 on the road this season.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for the Lightning and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, following a seven-game absence, finished with 18 saves. Tampa Bay has lost three straight (0-2-1) and seven of its last nine (2-6-1).
The Lightning outshot the Kings 13-3 in the third period, but they couldn’t get the tying goal past Forsberg.
The game’s first penalty, a cross-check against Kempe, led to the first goal. Bjorkstrand scored the power-play goal with 7:06 remaining in the first period, knocking in a rebound through Forsberg’s pads after the goalie stopped his initial attempt.
Forsberg kept it 1-0 with a spectacular, sliding glove save on Dominic James’ shot in the final seconds of the opening frame.
Kempe then scored twice 10½ minutes apart in the second to put the Kings ahead. First, he beat Vasilevskiy from between the circles at 5:21 to tie it. Then, he put a backhander past the goalie from the right side on a breakaway with 4:02 remaining in the period with his team-leading 13th for a 2-1 lead with 4:02 left in the period.
Forsberg made another amazing save just over a minute into the third period when he reached back and snatched a puck that was trickling toward the goal line. Vasilevskiy then answered by stopping Moore on a very short breakaway.
Vasilevskiy stopped the Kings’ Trevor Moore three times on good chances over the course of the night.
The Lightning got a power play at 1:05 with Vasilevskiy on the bench for an extra skater, but the Kings held on in the 6-on-4 penalty kill to secure the win.
Tampa Bay played without its top point producer (late scratch Nikita Kucherov) and goal-scorer (Brandon Hagel), but defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned.
More to come on this story.
UP NEXT
The Kings host Columbus on Monday night to open a three-game homestand.