Kempe scores on power play in OT, Kings top Blues to end 4-game skid

ST. LOUIS -- Adrian Kempe scored a power-play goal at 1:50 of overtime, and the Los Angeles Kings ended a four-game losing skid with a 2-1 win against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on Tuesday.

With Pavel Buchnevich in the penalty box for hooking for a 4-on-3 power play, Kempe's one-timer from the right circle beat Jordan Binnington on the short side.

“Just a beautiful goal, great pass, great finish by ‘Juice,’” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “He’s playing the top, we don’t see him over in that left flank often anymore, but you see why he’s scored a bunch of goals from there.”

Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings (2-3-1), who were 0-2-2 in their previous four games. Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves in his return from missing two games with a lower-body injury.

“I didn’t think we gave them that much as far as quality,” Hiller said. “We didn’t get a lot either, but we worked, and we’d run to the goal line a little bit and had some shots from the top, which we hadn’t been doing. I’d like to be easier than that, but I don’t know, that’s the way we win games. Just the start to finish, which usually is a grind.”

Justin Faulk scored for the Blues (3-2-1), who had won three of four. Binnington made 26 saves.

“It's disappointing we don't start on time,” St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said. “We didn't come close to executing the game plan. We're going to have to change things up, do things different. The intensity we started the game, it wasn't there. It was lacking. We need to find more consistency with how we play.”

Laferriere put the Kings ahead 1-0 at 1:47 of the second period after Faulk turned the puck over trying to exit his zone. Kempe fed Laferriere, and the forward went to the backhand for a high shot over Binnington.

“I kind of fell down in the corner, so I was just trying to back-check and ‘Juice’ made an unbelievable play in the neutral zone and was able to create that turnover,” Laferriere said. “He was going to go for a breakaway, but he let me have it. He passed it to me and told me I had time, so I just kind of went in, made a move and luckily it went in.”

Faulk's power-play goal at 2:18 of the third period tied it 1-1. Robert Thomas found the defenseman coming down the slot, and his wrist shot from just inside of the right circle beat Kuemper on the short side.

“I made a pretty bad mistake there on their goal,” Faulk said. “Obviously bad turnover there in the middle of the ice. I was lucky to have a chance to get it back, but ultimately things happen. You’ve got to move on. You can’t let one mistake affect the rest of your night or a couple mistakes, you have to be a big boy and get ready for your next shift and take an opportunity when it’s there. That’s just the way it goes and hope not to be in that situation very often.”

Corey Perry, who signed a one-year contract with Los Angeles on July 1, had one shot on goal in 14:41 in his Kings debut. The 40-year-old forward injured his knee prior to training camp and had surgery on Sept. 13.

"I thought he added a lot," Hiller said. "You guys saw him play, I thought he was dangerous, as dangerous as anybody up front. The intangible stuff, it’s just good to have him around. He’s a winner and so that rubs off. I didn’t think I would play him [so much], I think he played close to 15 minutes tonight ... to me, it was a pretty amazing performance for the first time."

NOTES: Kempe has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his past five games. … St. Louis rookie forward Jimmy Snuggerud, who had three goals in his previous three games, played 1:00 from the third period on. “He wasn't skating tonight, wasn't checking. I didn't think it was his night,” Montgomery said.