Pheonix Copley made 23 saves and allowed just one goal in a shootout to help the Los Angeles Kings to a 3–2 win against the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, Dec. 17.
Copley was starting his fifth game and third in a row since he was recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League on Dec. 1. He also beat the Boston Bruins 3–2 in a shootout on Thursday.
Phillip Danault and Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored for the Kings, who were playing their first game in Los Angeles following a six-game road trip.
Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore scored in the shootout, and Copley added an assist on Danault’s goal.
Timo Meier had a goal and an assist, Kevin Labanc also scored and James Reimer made 39 saves for the Sharks, who were trying to win three in a row to match their season high.
Copley helped the Kings kill penalties in the final five minutes of regulation and the first half of overtime.
Los Angeles took advantage of an early power play to take a 1–0 lead at 5:54 of the first period.
Danault brought the puck out of the Kings zone, continued through the neutral zone and then split through three San Jose defenders before scoring on a backhand from in close.
The Sharks also scored on their first power play to tie it 1–1 at 13:23 of the first period.
Erik Karlsson took a slap shot from the left point that was saved by Copley, but the rebound went to his side. Logan Couture was there to slide the puck through the crease to Meier, who had a wide-open net.
San Jose took a 2–1 lead at 15:26 of the second period.
Meier slid the puck between two Los Angeles defenders to a trailing Labanc, and he scored on a one-timer from the high slot.
The Kings scored 50 seconds later when Anderson-Dolan got to a rebound in front of the crease and shot it into the net to tie the score 2–2 at 16:16.
