Kings collapse late as Kraken rally for OT win

With victory just seconds away, the Los Angeles Kings saw their lead disintegrate, ultimately falling 3-2 to the Seattle Kraken in overtime on Wednesday evening at Climate Pledge Arena. The loss snapped a six-game skid for Seattle, while Los Angeles saw its win streak end at two.

Vince Dunn delivered the dagger in the extra period, scoring the second straight unanswered goal for Seattle to seal a dramatic comeback. It was just his fifth of the season and second since Nov. 15. 

Matty Beniers saved the Kraken late in the third, finding a desperation goal to tie the game at two with under 25 seconds remaining in regulation. A crucial tripping penalty on Kings' goalie Anton Forsberg left his squad shorthanded, allowing Seattle to cash in its third power play score of the evening.

Forsberg saved 30 of the 33 shots sent his way, eventually falling to 4-2-3. The 33-year-old has now seen overtime action in each of his last three appearances, dating back to Nov. 20.

Earlier in the period, Kevin Fiala helped the Kings gain a 2-1 advantage with his team-leading 11th score of the season. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar combined nicely to get the puck up the ice and find Fiala for the breakaway attempt against Seattle netminder Joey Daccord.

Fiala continued a stretch of promising road performances, extending his road point streak to five consecutive games in the loss. He now has seven points in his last six games against the Kraken and 19 overall points in 15 career games against the franchise. 

Both teams traded goals in the second to get on the board after a scoreless first period, with Jared McCann's fifth of the season getting the Kraken out in front 1-0. Alex Laferriere had the response less than five minutes later, providing the sixth shorthanded score of the campaign for the Kings.

Remaining effective despite shorthandedness has been an area of strength for Los Angeles this year, currently with more shorthanded scores than any other club in the NHL. Not a single goal for either team on Wednesday night was scored at even strength.

The Kings entered the day having won three of their last four games at Climate Pledge Arena, boasting a 5-1-1 record all-time in the Emerald City. Three more meetings remain for the two sides this season, with the next two taking place at Crypto.com Arena.

With the quick two-game road trip in the books, Los Angeles will return home to host the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. Despite an overall slow start to the season (second to last in the Pacific Division), Calgary has won three of its last four to pick up some momentum.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.