Kempe scores twice as Kings rally past Capitals 5-2 for first win
Los Angeles erased a two-goal first-period deficit in Washington, then pulled away in the third. Quinton Byfield left with an upper-body injury.
The Los Angeles Kings earned their first win of the season Tuesday, October 20, rallying from two goals down to beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 at Capital One Arena in Washington. Adrian Kempe scored twice for Los Angeles, which had managed only four goals across its previous four games.
The result moved the Kings to 1-4-2 and left Washington at 5-4-0. Los Angeles scored five unanswered goals after falling behind in the first period, with three of them coming in the third. It was the Kings’ highest-scoring game of the season, according to the Associated Press.
How the Kings overturned Washington’s lead
Ryan Leonard opened the scoring at 9:25 of the first period, skating across the high slot before shooting through a screen. Cole Hutson doubled Washington’s lead on a power play at 18:35, scoring from the edge of the right face-off circle. The Capitals’ two-goal advantage lasted less than a minute.
Kempe pulled the Kings within one at 19:27, finishing a pass from Artemi Panarin on a two-on-one rush. Panarin tied the game at 19:58 after Mikey Anderson forced a turnover along the boards. The goals came 31 seconds apart, sending the teams into the first intermission level at 2-2.
Erik Gustafsson gave Los Angeles its first lead with a power-play goal at 7:28 of the third period. Kempe converted another Panarin pass at 11:35, and Scott Laughton scored into an empty net at 18:15. Panarin finished with a goal and two assists; Alex Laferriere recorded two assists, according to NHL.com.
Byfield leaves as Kuemper holds Capitals scoreless
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves against his former team, while Washington’s Logan Thompson stopped 21 shots. The Capitals did not score during the final 41 minutes and 25 seconds, after Hutson’s first-period goal. Kuemper played for Washington from 2022 to 2024, the Associated Press reported.
Los Angeles forward Quinton Byfield left midway through the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return. He played 2 minutes and 44 seconds, according to the Associated Press. The reported injury description does not establish a diagnosis or a return date.
The Kings opened a five-game road trip in Washington. Their next listed game is at the New York Islanders on Thursday, October 22; the Capitals are scheduled to host Buffalo on Saturday, October 24. Washington entered Tuesday’s game on a two-game winning streak.
Read in depth: Sports
Rays reach World Series with trade-built roster and one of MLB’s lowest payrolls
Tampa Bay’s third American League pennant puts its roster strategy in focus: 16 players arrived through trades, according to the Associated Press.
Adam Silver says LeBron James’s Fanatics helicopter deal is permissible if no team is involved
The NBA commissioner said players may make their own sponsor deals, while teams cannot help arrange them. Questions about the 76ers’ role remain unresolved.
Sources and context
- Adrian Kempe scores 2 goals and Kings beat Capitals 5-2 for first win of seasonAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Kempe scores twice, Kings top Capitals in first win | NHL.comNHL.com (Harvey Valentine, Independent Correspondent)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
Topics in this story
More from Sports
Winnipeg Jets’ losing streak reaches three in 2-1 defeat to St. Louis Blues
Duke beats Tennessee 103-64 in exhibition as Barnes faults Vols’ effort
UConn beats Michigan State 78-70 in men’s basketball exhibition
Illustration