In Los Angeles, the Kings gave up two goals in the middle frame on Saturday to fall behind the visiting Buffalo Sabres, 0-2, on Sunday afternoon.
Despite the deficit, Jonathan Quick made 22 saves and led the Kings to a 3-2 win.
It was Quick’s first victory of the season.
“I thought last night we were able to play and turn the tide, turn the feel around the team,” LA head coach Todd McLellan said. “And we talked about this being a game where we hope we can come out of what we were in by putting back-to-back games together, and so far so good.”
Buffalo’s Rasmus Asplund (shorthanded) and Victor Olofsson struck for the second period goals.
“It’s a little bit harder to control momentum in somebody else’s building, so yeah, you have to pay a lot more attention to details when you’re on the road in those situations,” Buffalo head coach Don Granato said. “Like every other team, we have to take all this information that’s at us and take it to heart and become better because of it.”
Buffalo dropped to 5-2-1.
“I think probably the last two or three games, we haven’t played a full 60 minutes, and it’s obviously hurt us,” the Sabres’ Jacob Bryson said. “Starting with myself, I think we can be a lot better for a full 60. We’ve been successful at getting the leads but can’t find a way to hold them, and I think that’s a big learning step for us.”
The Kings rallied with three unanswered goals to take the lead and game.
LA’s Carl Grundstrom scored in the middle frame to cut the score to 2-1.
“I think we had a pretty solid game through 60 minutes,” LA’s Adrian Kempe said. “We knew before the game that they were going to going to come hard on the rush, and they scored a couple there. But we really fought back in the third period and deserved the win at the end, for sure.”
Anze Kopitar scored early in the third period to tie the game, 2-2.
Alex Iafallo scored the game-winner in the 14th minute of the third period.
“This guy’s a good player, and that’s why I think he can score 25 or 30,” McLellan said. “He slows the game down when he needs to. He’s in the right spot. He speeds it up when he needs to. He can check. He comes to the bench, he sits down, he gathers his thought, he goes and does it again. Low maintenance, high production.”
The Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson was placed in the NHL COVID-19 protocol prior to puck drop.
Dustin Tokarski made 31 saves in the Buffalo loss.
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