The Los Angeles Kings (5-3-3) took down the San Jose Sharks (2-6-2) 4-3, despite being outshot 40-14 in the game.
The ultimate game-winning goal would come from defenseman Brandt Clarke with just about seven minutes remaining in the third period. After an outlet pass ahead by winger Adrian Kempe, Clarke skated in along the far side and picked the top left corner to give the Kings the go-ahead goal.
Los Angeles struck on the board three times to start the rivalry as well, with winger Corey Perry starting the scoring halfway into the first period. As the Kings’ power play was ending, Clarke took a shot from the point that bounced around, and Perry tapped it into the back of the net while he was falling in the crease.
The Kings made it 2-0 three minutes into the second period when winger Jeff Malott scored his second goal of the season. On a two-on-one scenario, Malott took it himself along the close wall and stuck the top near the corner to double L.A.’s lead.
Three minutes later, defenseman Drew Doughty scored his first goal of the year to make it 3-0 in the away team’s favor. With a screen in front, Doughty received a pass from defenseman Brian Dumoulin at the right circle and ripped a shot past Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. This was Dumoulin’s first point as a King.
San Jose responded, however, with three goals of their own, starting with winger Will Smith with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second period. On a great pass from center Macklin Celebrini, Smith had a wide open one-timer on the back post to make the score 3-1. With the primary assist, Celebrini now has 10 points on the season for the Sharks.
Less than two minutes later, winger Philipp Kurashev brought the score within one. After a puck was dumped in toward the front of the net, center Alexander Wennberg swung a pass around toward Kurashev on the far side of the crease, who had an easy goal for the Sharks to make it 3-2.
Wennberg would be the last to score for San Jose to complete the three-goal comeback for the Sharks early in the third period. As San Jose’s power play ended, Kurashev returned the favor and hit his teammate Wennberg on the back post for a one-timer to make the score 3-3.
At the other end of the third period, though, Clarke would give Los Angeles the lead that they would win by despite being outshot by 26 shots. The Kings went 4-1 on their five-game road trip and head home still looking for their first win at Crypto.com Arena.
They look to do so against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.