Helenius gets 1st career goal, Kempe scores for 4th straight as Kings rally to beat Panthers 2-1
LOS ANGELES — Samuel Helenius and Adrian Kempe scored in the third period, and the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots for Los Angeles, which was held to two goals or fewer for the seventh time in eight games and snapped a two-game skid.
Evan Rodrigues scored a power-play goal and Spencer Knight made 26 saves for the Panthers, who were coming off a 5-2 win at Anaheim on Tuesday night.
Helenius got his first NHL goal at 6:41 of the third to tie the score. Kempe then scored for the fourth straight game when he tipped in Kevin Fiala’s shot with 6:48 left to put the Kings ahead.
Takeaways
Panthers: There wasn’t much gas in the tank from the start for Florida, and it eventually ran out in the third. They will gladly enjoy the next two days off before starting another back-to-back.
Kings: Helenius played the lowest ice time of any Los Angeles player, but his first goal in 25 career games proved to be monumental in turning the momentum.
Key moment
Tanner Jeannot was aggressive in attacking the loose rebound of Jordan Spence’s shot, keeping the puck alive so Helenius could shoot into an open net.
Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Etienne Laurent
Key stat
The Panthers fell to 18-2-0 when leading after two periods. It was also their sixth loss in 26 games when getting the first goal.
Up Next
Panthers visit San Jose on Saturday, and Kings play at Columbus to start a five-game trip.
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