LA crown Flyers, 7-3 | Pro Hockey News

PHILADELPHIA – The Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala each hit for a double on Thursday night, in a 7-3 thumping of the Flyers.

Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores on a backhand shot over Darcy Kuemper #35 of the Los Angeles Kings

Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves in the win.

The Flyers held a 3-2 lead with less than a minute left in the middle frame. Kopitar collected a loose puck near the crease and tapped it in for a 3-3 tie headed to the third period.

“Kopi’s goal at the end of the second was massive,” LA’s Warren Foegele said. “Coming into the dressing room, tie game on the road. This group seems to battle hard in the third, and that’s what we did there for the last 20 [minutes].”

To that point in the game, the Flyers had controlled the second period.

“Those last-minute goals … we come back, have a lead, it hurts you,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “Can’t blame it just on that. It’s a big play, could have come into the third period with a lead.”

With under two minutes gone in the third period, Foegele scored what would be the game-winner for a 4-3 lead to the Kings.

“I just think we started the game, maybe the first 10 minutes, playing our game, what we would call Kings hockey,” Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said. “And then it was just a matter of whose game were we going to play in the third period. I thought we played our game. Really happy and proud of the guys to be able to come out that way in the third and play that game.”

Kopitar added insurance with his double, just past the midway point of the third for a 5-3 lead for LA.

“To be his age and to be out there playing against the other team’s best players night after night, and then making an offensive contribution too, while leading the team, that’s really difficult to do,” Hiller said. “I know that. It’s difficult to do it at 25, never mind at 37.”

Quinton Byfield hit an empty net for a 6-3 lead, and Fiala collected his double for the 7-3 final.

“I didn’t think that Pittsburgh game was to our standard,” Foegele said. “We have a high standard, and we keep everyone accountable. Third periods are something we take a lot of pride in. And in that Pittsburgh game, the third period, we let it slip. Tonight, we knew 20 minutes to go, play the right way, Kings hockey, and that’s what we did.”

Tyson Foerster scored a brace for the Flyers, and Noah Cates added a single marker for the Flyers in the loss.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, get to the net,” Foerster said. “Our line is playing decent and we’re supporting each other well and we know the puck is going to the net. That’s where I’ve got to go.”

Aleksei Kolosov made 19 saves in the loss.