LOS ANGELES — Kevin LaBanc scored 2:53 into overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.
The Sharks took a 2-0 first-period lead before Los Angeles rallied to score the next two and force the overtime.
Martin Jones made 19 saves as San Jose got its first win of the season after losing to Anaheim 5-2 on Wednesday.
Jonathan Quick made 30 saves for Los Angeles, which dropped an opener for the first time since 2015.
San Jose scored two goals on its first six shots in the first period. Timo Meier put the Sharks on the board at 9:42 of the first when he directed a Marc-Edward Vlasic shot near the blue line past Quick. Evander Kane followed four minutes later with a wrist shot after a turnover deep in the Kings’ end for his second goal of the season.
Los Angeles rallied. Anze Kopitar scored off a deflected shot late in the first period as the Kings cut the deficit in half. Tyler Toffoli grabbed a deflection off the end boards behind the goal and fired it past Martin Jones 37 seconds into the second, tying the score at 2-all.
KOVALCHUK’S DEBUT
Ilya Kovalchuk made his Kings’ debut and saw 20 minutes of ice time.
The 35-year old Russian, who was playing in his first NHL game since 2013 after five seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, was the right winger on Los Angeles’ top line with Kopitar centring and Alex Iafallo at left wing. Kovalchuk took two shots on goal.
UP NEXT
Sharks: Continue their five-game road trip on Monday at the New York Islanders.
Kings: Host Detroit on Sunday before going on the road for four straight.
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