Kings 7, Coyotes 4
Mike Richards scored a short-handed goal at 4:19 of the third period to snap a tie and Dwight King recorded his first career hat trick as host Los Angeles avoided a major meltdown and posted its third win in four games.
Anze Kopitar registered a goal and two assists while Jordan Nolan and Matt Frattin also scored for the Kings, who improved to 2-1-0 on their four-game homestand. Justin Williams and captain Dustin Brown each had two assists while Jonathan Quick made 24 saves.
Martin Hanzal scored twice while Jeff Halpern and captain Shane Doan had a goal apiece for the Coyotes, who had their seven-game point streak snapped. Defenseman Keith Yandle and Radim Vrbata recorded two assists apiece.
King tallied twice during Los Angeles' four-goal first period, but Phoenix halved the deficit in the middle session before Hanzal and Doan scored 59 seconds apart early in the third to forge a tie. Richards restored the lead for the Kings during a Coyotes power play, stealing the puck from Vrbata in the neutral zone and sliding a backhander around Thomas Greiss during a breakaway for a 5-4 advantage.
Frattin deflected defenseman Drew Doughty's shot past Greiss at 12:11 to create breathing room, and King completed his career-best effort with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kopitar's goal was his first in 27 regular-season games dating to last campaign. It also was the first by a Kings center this season. ... Doan returned to the lineup after missing one game with a lower-body injury. ... Greiss made 20 saves over the final two periods after replacing G Mike Smith, who allowed four goals on 15 shots in the opening session.