Anze Kopitar scores natural third-period hat trick to rally the Kings over the Sabres

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Anze Kopitar scored a natural hat trick in the third period to rally the Los Angeles Kings to a season-opening 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 32 shots in an outing where the Kings overcame a 1-0 deficit. Kopitar tied the game 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.

Kings: Missing key defenseman Drew Doughty to a broken ankle can’t explain Los Angeles’ lack of offense in a game they were being outshot 28-10 through two periods and 33-22 overall. Credit Kuemper, acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, in an outing where 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-of-10 after failing on all five chances against the Kings, including a two-man advantage spanning 69 seconds in the first period.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin muffing the puck at the end boards, allowing Alex Laferriere to set up Kopitar’s first goal.

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.

The Kings, on the road since Oct. 1 with preseason games at 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.

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