Monday, January 22, 2024 10:30 PM (ET)

Kaapo Kahkonen shines as Sharks edge Kings in shootout

Field Level Media
Jan 23, 2024

Kaapo Kahkonen made 44 saves and stopped both attempts in the shootout to help the visiting San Jose Sharks earn a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

Fabian Zetterlund, William Eklund and Justin Bailey scored for San Jose, which has won two in a row for the first time since Dec. 5-7.

Logan Couture and Zetterlund converted the Sharks' two shootout attempts.

Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist, Trevor Moore and Drew Doughty also scored, Kevin Fiala had two assists and David Rittich made 24 saves for the Kings, who are 2-6-5 in their past 13 games.

Doughty tied the score 3-3 with 1:58 left in regulation after Kahkonen was penalized for delay of game when his clearing pass sailed over the glass. The Kings pulled Rittich for a two-man advantage about 30 seconds into the power play, and Doughty scored with a slap shot.

After squandering a 2-0 lead, the Sharks moved back ahead 3-2 at 6:17 of the third period.

Bailey got loose for a semi-breakaway after the Kings turned the puck over following a faceoff win in the San Jose zone. Bailey's shot squeezed through Rittich's pads.

After Kahkonen made 18 saves in a scoreless first period, including seven over the final 1:29, Zetterlund and Eklund scored 1:20 apart in the second period to give San Jose the two-goal lead.

The Sharks were on a delayed penalty when a blocked shot fell at the feet of Zetterlund, who swiped it into the net to make it 1-0 at 7:46.

San Jose stretched the lead to 2-0 at 9:06 when Nico Sturm sped ahead of two Los Angeles players to create a brief two-on-one. He fed Eklund, who scored with a wrist shot to end a 17-game goal drought.

Los Angeles cut the deficit to 2-1 at 17:06 of the second period when Fiala's pass skipped past two San Jose players and left Moore one-on-one against Kahkonen. Moore scored from the bottom of the right circle.

The Kings tied it 2-2 at 1:33 of the third period. Adrian Kempe made a spinning centering pass from just below the goal line, and Byfield scored with a one-timer from the slot.

San Jose defenseman Mario Ferraro hobbled to the dressing room with just under seven minutes left in the second period after a check sent him sliding legs first into the boards.

Ferraro, who came in leading San Jose in average ice time at 22:57 per game, played 14:02.

--Field Level Media

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