Kings 4, Sharks 3 (OT)
LOS ANGELES -- Anze Kopitar scored a power-play goal at 2:32 of overtime as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Justin Williams added a goal and an assist, including scoring the game-tying goal in the third period to force overtime for Los Angeles, which improved to 9-5-0.
The Sharks stunned the Kings when they scored on the game's first shift. Off an odd man rush, Logan Couture feathered a pass to defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who roofed a shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick just 13 seconds in.
The Kings quickly matched the visitors when defenseman Drew Doughty snapped a shot pass Sharks goalie Antti Niemi off a turnover by defenseman Matt Irwin. Williams made the steal in the San Jose zone and fed Doughty for his fourth goal of the season at 2:32 of the opening period.
San Jose took the lead again at 11:27 of the first period when Joe Pavelski converted a Tommy Wingels pass to beat Quick with a short-side wrist shot. The goal was made possible by Pavelski forcing a turnover by Kings Trevor Lewis inside the Los Angeles defensive zone as the Kings were trying to leave their end of a rush.
Los Angeles tied the game for a second time when Jarret Stoll tipped in a shot by defenseman Slava Voynov at 3:15 of the second period. A big hit by forward Kyle Clifford on San Jose defenseman Brad Stuart gave possession to right winger Dustin Brown, who passed to Voynov to start the scoring play.
Couture gave the Sharks their third lead off the night on the power play at 18:04 of the middle period. Couture had a goal and an assist for San Jose (10-1-2).
The Sharks took their second too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty of the game that helped the Kings forge the third tie of the evening. Williams wristed a shot past Niemi on the power play at 12:21 of the final period with assists from Kopitar and Mike Richards to make it 3-3.
NOTES: San Jose's opening goal marked the fifth time in 13 games they've scored inside the first minute of play. ... With their 6-2 victory of the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 15, the Sharks became the first team in NHL history to start consecutive seasons 6-0 or better. ... Five Sharks have recorded their first game-winning goal in the team's first 10 games (RW Tomas Hertl, D Justin Braun, LW Matt Nieto, RW Matt Pelech, C Tommy Wingels). ... Los Angeles has an 101-0-1 record over its last 12 games at Staples Center vs. San Jose. ... Kings D Matt Greene leads the team in hits (40) and plus/minus (plus-5) through 13 games. Greene is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. ... RW Jeff Carter (13:05) and C Richards (12:16) recorded their lowest time on ice this season in the Kings 3-1 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday night.
