By JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writer
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Anze Kopitar scored a natural hat trick in the third period to rally the Kings to a season-opening 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 32 shots as the Kings overcame a 1-0 deficit. Kopitar tied the score at 1-1 by scoring 13 seconds into the third period. He scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 1:38 left and then capped the scoring with an empty-netter.
Alex Tuch converted his own rebound on a shorthanded breakaway with 3:05 left in the second period, and Buffalo dropped to 0-3 after opening the season with two losses to New Jersey in Prague last weekend.
Takeaways
Kings: Missing key defenseman Drew Doughty to a broken ankle can’t explain the Kings’ lack of offense in a game that saw them outshot 28-10 through two periods and 33-22 overall. Credit Kuemper, acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, in an outing when he stopped Ryan McLeod on a penalty shot 12:53 in, and seconds earlier made a diving stop to prevent McLeod from scoring on a wrap-around attempt.
Sabres: Scoring remains an issue for a team that managed one goal in each of its two season-opening losses to New Jersey. Buffalo’s power play is now 0 for 10 after failing on all five chances against the Kings, including a two-man advantage spanning 69 seconds in the first period.
KEY MOMENT
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin muffing the puck at the end boards, allowing Alex Laferriere to set up Kopitar’s first goal.
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KEY STAT
26: Number of points Kopitar has in 18 season-opening games to make him the NHL’s leading active skater, and two points ahead of Alex Ovechkin, who opens the season with the Capitals on Saturday.
UP NEXT
The Kings, on the road since Oct. 1 with preseason games in Quebec City, continue a seven-game season-opening road trip at Boston on Saturday, while the Sabres host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday.