Avalanche 4, Kings 3
LOS ANGELES -- Center Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal at 10:35 of the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 7:38 of the third to knot the score at 3 before MacKinnon delivered the game-winner almost three minutes later.
Kings left winger Dwight King, who had a goal and an assist, had given Los Angeles a 3-2 lead late in the second period, but Colorado came back.
Goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 35 of 38 shots for the Avalanche (26-22-3), who have won five of their last six and took two of three in the season series with the Kings.
Goalie Jonathan Quick saved 15 of 19 attempts for the Kings (30-16-3), who have dropped three of four.
Defenseman Drew Doughty put the Kings on the board with his 10th goal this season and the first short-handed one of his career. Doughty gathered a pass near the blue line from forward Anze Kopitar and rushed past Avalanche defenders before dropping a backhanded winner at 9:31 of the first period.
Doughty is the first Kings defenseman to produce a short-handed goal since Willie Mitchell scored one Oct. 28, 2010, against the Dallas Stars.
Center Trevor Lewis made it 2-0, getting a stick on a pass from center Vinny Lecavalier just outside the crease with 1:20 remaining in the first period. It was Lewis' fifth goal of the season.
Colorado took advantage of a turnover by Los Angeles defenseman Brayden McNabb to slice the lead in half to open the second period. Duchene squeezed a shot past Quick 42 seconds into the period for his 23rd goal this season.
The Avalanche tied the score as Landeskog cashed in a rebound off a miss by left winger Blake Comeau at 7:10 of the second period.
King gave the Kings the lead again with his fourth goal this season, scoring on a pass from center Jordan Nolan for a 3-2 advantage at 15:13 of the second.
Los Angeles outshot Colorado 18-5 after one period and 27-12 after two.
NOTES: Colorado LW Cody McLeod led the team with 94 penalty minutes entering the contest, six shy of becoming the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to record 100 penalty minutes in eight difference seasons. Steven Finn, Dale Hunter and Randy Moller also hit the century mark in seven seasons. ... Los Angeles F Anze Kopitar ranked second in the NHL in scoring with 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) and was tied for first in assists since Nov. 20. ... The Avalanche scratched D Nate Guenin, D Zach Redmond and LW Alex Tanguay. D Jamie McBain and C Andy Andreoff were unavailable for Los Angeles. ... With the All-Star break starting, both clubs are off until Tuesday. The Avalanche will host the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Kings visit the Arizona Coyotes.