Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates, left, battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) battles against Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin (2) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings captain Anze Kopitar (11) reacts before stepping on the ice as he is recognized for becoming the Kings’ all-time leading scorer during a pause in play in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Kings captain Anze Kopitar (11) reacts as he is recognized on home ice for recently becoming the Kings’ all-time leading scorer during a pause in play in their game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) skates with the puck as Kings right wing Jared Wright (53) watches during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Konecny, left, skates with the puck as Kings captain Anze Kopitar chases after him during the first period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Trevor Zegras, left, is bumped off stride by the Kings’ Brian Dumoulin during the first period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae, right, passes the puck against Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Sanheim , right, skates behind Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, left, as the Kings’ Jeff Malott defends during the first period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Quinton Byfield (55) celebrates his goal with his teammates during the first period of a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Carl Grundstrom, center, looks for a rebound in front of Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, right, and Taylor Ward defend during the first period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) skates with the puck against Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings center Anze Kopitar, second from right, celebrates with right wing Adrian Kempe, third from right, and defenseman Brandt Clarke, left, as Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Kings’ Brian Dumoulin, left, stick handles his way around the Philadelphia Flyers’ Cam York during the second period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York shoots during the first period of a game against the Kings on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Kings’ Trevor Moore, right, collides with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Noah Juulsen during the second period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Kings’ Alex Turcotte, left, plays the puck away from the Philadelphia Flyers’ Nick Seeler during the second period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Kings captain Anze Kopitar, front, is tripped by the Philadelphia Flyers’ Noah Cates during the second period on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal as Kings left wing Trevor Moore, front right, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (8) checks Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) into the boards during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings defenseman Brian Dumoulin (2) skates with the puck against Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) and defenseman Cam York (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Trevor Zegras (46) plays the puck between the Kings’ Jared Wright, left, and Mikey Anderson on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim, left, celebrates with left wing Noah Cates (27) and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, right, after scoring a goal during the second period of a game against the Kings on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere (14) shoots as defenseman Brandt Clarke, back left, and Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) watch during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov shoots during a shootout in a game against the Kings on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson, back, saves a shot by Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during a shootout of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Philadelphia Flyers’ Trevor Zegras, top, scores a shootout goal over Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the shootout portion of their game on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) skates away after scoring a goal as Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper looks on from the ice during a shootout on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings lost, 4-3. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) celebrates with left wing Garrett Wilson, left, left wing Noah Cates (27), right wing Carl Grundstrom, center, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale (9) after scoring the game-winning goal against the Kings in a shootout on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings left wing Trevor Moore, front left, warms up as defenseman Brian Dumoulin (2) skates before a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Kings left wing Artemi Panarin looks on before a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
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Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates, left, battle for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
LOS ANGELES — The Kings clawed a valuable point from Thursday night’s showdown at Crypto.com Arena, where they slipped to the abruptly undermanned Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3 in a shootout.
The Kings secured sole possession of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, for now, as the Seattle Kraken lost on Thursday, as did three other Pacific Division foes (Edmonton, Vegas and San Jose). The Kings also fell for the 22nd time in 24 opportunities when trailing after 40 minutes and for the 23rd time in 33 matches at home.
Though Adrian Kempe said it was a missed opportunity not to come away with two points, interim coach D.J. Smith took more of a glass-half-full view.
“You look at the teams that lost tonight, every one of them went in thinking ‘we’ve got to win the game.’ Of the teams that needed to do it, we’re the only one that got a point,” Smith said.
Artemi Panarin deposited a goal and set up another by Anže Kopitar after Quinton Byfield opened the scoring. Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves. Kempe was a game-time decision and returned to the lineup after missing Monday’s game against the New York Rangers, but he was unable to extend his eight-game points streak.
Noah Cates scored a goal and assisted on one by Travis Sanheim, with Matvei Michkov lending a hand on both markers to match Rasmus Ristolainen’s two helpers as the Flyers improved to 8-2-1 in their past 11 games. Travis Konecny also tallied for Philadelphia, which lost three forwards in 24 hours and was already without Tyson Foerster. Captain Sean Couturier, Luke Glendening and Denver Barkey were all unavailable after being banged up in Wednesday’s game with the Ducks at the Honda Center. Samuel Ersson stopped 22 shots.
Though Panarin nearly dangled his way into engineering a goal late in OT for Brandt Clarke, five minutes of the extra session came and went without a goal. In the shootout, former Duck Trevor Zegras and Michkov converted with flicks of their wrists, while the Kings’ Kempe and Panarin came up empty.
“It was a huge win, I’m really proud of the guys. They dug in. I asked some guys to play some positions that they’re not used to and kill some penalties, so it was a good effort,” Flyers coach and one-time Kings winger Rick Tocchet said.
Through 50:28, all the scoring in the game had arrived in a 7:28 span between the first and second periods. The two sides had also combined to go 0 for 5 on the power play, but that all changed midway through the final frame.
The Kings went to work a man up, with Panarin looking to shoot early and ultimately connecting on a short-side snipe through a Trevor Moore screen to make it a new game with 9:32 to play. Panarin has 15 points in 12 games since making his Kings debut following a trade from the Rangers.
“The best players in the league are the best players in the league for a reason. They find ways to make plays under pressure, when no one else can, especially in the third period,” Smith said. “It’s the talented-player time, and he’s talented.”
After a low-event first period that saw Byfield strike with 29 seconds to play off a wrist shot from the inner part of the right circle, the second period began with a bang.
Philadelphia evened the count 26 seconds after the intermission and the Kings reclaimed the lead 21 ticks after that. Then, the Flyers tallied twice unanswered, at 4:12 and 6:57, to take their first lead of the night and carry it into the dressing room.
“The point that was lost was lost in the second period. The first and third were the way that we want to play,” Smith said.
First it was Konecny, who reversed the puck in the neutral zone and then vanished behind the rush, only to reappear in the slot and fire a laser past Kuemper.
Kopitar, who was honored for having recently broken Marcel Dionne’s career franchise scoring record during the first period, added to his total. With Ersson glued to his post and Zegras jamming the shooting lane, Clarke’s high-slot shot was fired wide on purpose. The puck banked off the end boards and straight to Kopitar for the 11th goal of his final season and his fourth in four games.
Cates, who scored the game-winner in Anaheim a night earlier, leveled the contest off another play near the goal line. Michkov’s shot squirted through Kuemper and teetered behind him before Cates beat former Flyer Scott Laughton to the puck, pushing it home off his backhand.
That line, which included former King Carl Grundstrom, was on the ice for Philly’s go-ahead goal. Cates and Michkov machinated the puck for Sanheim’s blast from the blue line.
Michkov factored into two of three Flyers goals and cashed in during the shootout, despite taking a crunching hit from Drew Doughty behind the Philadelphia net.
The Kings next take on the surging Buffalo Sabres.
“This was a good opportunity for us, but [we’ve got] a tough game on Saturday, so we’ll reload and then come back,” Kempe said.