Gabriel Vilardi scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 3:03 left, and the Los Angeles Kings held on for a 4–2 win against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Saturday night, Mar. 4.
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, Carl Grundstrom and Adrian Kempe also scored and Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves in his team debut for the Kings.
Los Angeles has won four of five to move back into a tie in points with the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division.
Korpisalo was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday in exchange for veteran goalie Jonathan Quick.
Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen scored, and Jordan Binnington made 34 saves for the Blues, who have lost seven of eight.
Vilardi received a pass in front of the net from Fiala, spun and scored to give the Kings their third lead of the game.
Fiala followed with an empty-net goal to make it 4–2 with 1:56 left.
The Kings took a 1–0 lead at 3:14 of the first period.
Los Angeles dumped the puck behind the St. Louis net and then won it back on the forecheck. Rasmus Kupari passed the puck back to defenseman Matt Roy at the right point just as Grundstrom set up in front of the net.
Roy took a shot and Grundstrom managed to tip the puck in the net just as he was knocked over by Blues defenseman Marco Scandella.
St. Louis tied the score 1–1 at 18:05 of the first period.
Korpisalo made a save on a wrist shot by Pavel Buchnevich, but the rebound came out to Thomas, who put the puck into the net for his 15th goal of the season.
Los Angeles moved back ahead 2–1 at 12:50 of the second period.
Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who also came over in the trade for Quick, forced a turnover in the St. Louis zone. Quinton Byfield took possession and chipped the puck ahead to Kempe, who had a slight gap on the nearest defender and scored his 29th goal of the season from in close.
Kapanen scored on a short-handed breakaway to tie the score 2–2 at 12:11 of the third period.
Drew Doughty contributed two assists for the Kings.
