LOS ANGELES — The Kings put their NHL-best records at home and on Saturdays on the line and fell short, 3-1, to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday evening.
Alex Laferriere scored the game’s first goal and the only one for the Kings. Darcy Kuemper made 23 of 25 saves, saddling him with just his second regulation loss at home this season.
Auston Matthews scored a goal and assisted on John Tavares’ tally, giving both men who wore the “C” for Toronto in their careers goals on Saturday. Tavares later tacked on an empty-netter. Anthony Stolarz negated 36 of 37 bids.
The Kings are now 14-11-0 against the other 11 teams in a non-wild-card playoff position this season, but this was their first home loss to another contender, having gone 11-0 against those clubs to this point. It was also their first regulation loss when holding a lead through the second intermission, having gone 28-0-2 in 30 prior instances.
Toronto moved back into first place in the Atlantic Division, leapfrogging both Tampa Bay and Florida with the win.
The substantial visiting contingent on hand was delighted with 1:25 to play when Mitch Marner’s skyhook of a clearing attempt seemed to flummox Kings captain Anže Kopitar, who allowed the puck to land in a spot where Tavares collected it cleanly and scored into the empty net. Tavares has eight goals and 13 points during his six-game scoring streak.
With 7:56 to play, Toronto took its first lead of the night and the last one of the game with Tavares’ power-play goal at the back post, meaning the Kings allowed a goal five-on-four, four-on-five and six-on-five, but none at even strength.
Early in the third period, the Kings’ patient effort was in peril after their one-goal lead was erased. Kopitar’s turnover led to Matthews’ shorthanded breakaway, which saw his weak backhand attempt cast aside by Kuemper. But Matthews recovered the puck, passed it to Jake McCabe, got it back and blew past Kevin Fiala to score on Kuemper as Kopitar looked on.
The Kings took their timeout to get a better look at the play and challenged the goal, alleging that Matthews played the puck with a high stick during the recovery. Though the replay indicated they had a case, the officials determined it was inconclusive, meaning the goal stood and the Kings would be assessed a penalty.
A subsequent penalty on Drew Doughty 40 seconds later left the Kings to play four-on-three and then five-on-three, though Kuemper and his cohorts on the PK bailed them out to keep the game tied at one.
The game’s first goal came less than two minutes into the second period, the culmination of a strong push by the Kings.
After Philip Danault broke up a play in the neutral zone, Laferriere darted down the right-wing wall, driving to the net and turning a sharp angle for his forehand into an ideal one for his backhand. It was his 16th goal of the season, but his first in 18 games, having last scored Feb. 22. Each goal since his 12th has represented a career high.
The Kings drew the only penalty of the first period and a shot advantage, while Toronto earned a bit higher quality chances in a mostly stride-for-stride opening salvo. The Kings held Toronto scoreless to remain firmly in first place in first-period goals allowed with 42, seven fewer than the next stingiest team, the Winnipeg Jets.