Kings beat Lightning 4-2 to snap 10-game series skid

Updated Oct. 26, 2022 1:22 a.m. ET

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gabe Vilardi had a goal and an assist, Phillip Danault scored for the second straight game and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Blake Lizotte and Adrian Kempe both had a goal, Jonathan Quick made 24 saves and the Kings snapped a 10-game losing streak to the Lightning.

Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 33 shots in the opener of Tampa Bay’s three-game California road trip.

The Kings struck twice in the second period, reclaiming the lead on Vilardi’s power-play goal at 5:03 when he tipped Drew Doughty’s slap shot.

Lizotte made it 3-1 when he scored off Brandt Clarke’s no-look pass with 6:43 left.

It appeared Victor Hedman halved Tampa Bay’s deficit 49 seconds later, but the goal was waved off after a challenge by the Kings showed Corey Perry was offside.

Kempe scored his fifth of the season with 5:30 left in the third for a 4-1 lead, keeping pace with Vilardi for the team lead.

Kucherov cut it to 4-2 with 2:16 to play and Vasilevskiy on the bench for an extra skater.

Hagel scored for the second consecutive game with 4:46 left in the first period, alertly corralling the puck after Quick tried to knock away Steven Stamkos’ centering pass. Hagel converted a backhand to cancel out Danault’s opening goal at 7:20.

STREAK BUSTING

The Kings had lost 10 straight games to the Lightning dating to Jan. 16, 2017, which was the second-longest active streak in the NHL behind Arizona’s 19 consecutive defeats against Boston.

That skid included losing five straight on home ice in the series, and Vasilevskiy had defeated Los Angeles in seven straight starts.

NOTES: Kings F Viktor Arvidsson (illness) was a late scratch after participating in warmups. Jaret Anderson-Dolan replaced him in the lineup, making his season debut. … The Lightning played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Play at Anaheim on Wednesday night to complete the Southern California back-to-back.

Kings: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

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