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Detroit Red Wings start Cali trip 2-0 with 2-goal rally for 4-3 SO win over L.A. Kings

LOS ANGELES — The Detroit Red Wings showed their resilience and kept working until the early damage had been undone.

They were down by a pair of goals before Thursday's game at Crypto.com Arena was 5 minutes old, challenged by an opponent that has had their number in recent years. But in the third period, it was the Los Angeles Kings who had to rally to force extra time.

Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond scored in the shootout to give the Wings a 4-3 victory and their first consecutive wins since Dec. 2-5.. The Wings (19-16-4) began their California trip Tuesday by beating the San Jose Sharks.

"It’s huge," Alex Lyon said after making 40 saves. "Given the stretch we’ve been on here in the last month, we showed some great resilience last game, and showed more resilience tonight. These are the moments in a season you need in order to gain some momentum and kind of right the ship. Getting off the mat is one of the hardest things to do in any league and I’m just incredibly happy and proud for the guys because it’s a really difficult thing."

The Wings have won three of their last four games after winning just twice in their previous 11 outings.

"With the stretch we’ve been on, it definitely feels good," Robby Fabbri said after scoring twice. "A game like that, where you have to grind it out for a full 60, overtime, shootout, it took everything — it’s a good feeling. It’s a good team and it’s a tough building to come into, so we’re really happy with that road performance."

Detroit Red Wings left wing David Perron, left, celebrates a goal by defenseman Jeff Petry, right, against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
Detroit Red Wings left wing David Perron, left, celebrates a goal by defenseman Jeff Petry, right, against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

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Shots favored the Kings, 43-27, at end of overtime.

Fabbri broke out of a funk and Jeff Petry brokered a goal from the blue line to make it 2-2 after two periods. The second period ended with a scrum that ignited when Moritz Seider and Phillip Danault chirped, skated away, and then Seider got into it with Adrian Kempe, and then pretty much everyone got involved. Officials doled out a slashing penalty on Seider, leaving the Wings shorthanded to start the third period.

Fabbri and Kempe each scored for the second time of the game in the third period, Kempe with 4:07 to play.

Entering the game. the Wings were 1-7-2 versus the Kings since the start of the 2017-18 season.

Andrew Copp was unavailable because of a lower-body injury, leading the Wings to use 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

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Flushed

The Wings fell behind less than 2 minutes in, and were down two before the 5-minute mark. Adrian Kempe slid to the net to tip a pass from Alex Laferriere and beat Alex Lyon, putting the Kings ahead on their first scoring chance. They doubled their lead when Quinton Byfield managed to make a pass from deep inside L.A.'s zone even as he fell to his knees. Anze Kopitar took a shot that Lyon turned away, but Michigan Tech alumnus Matt Roy turned the rebound into his first goal of the season. That was part of an 18-shot barrage the Kings had in just the first period, while the Wings registered seven shots on David Rittich.

Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane moves the puck toward Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich during a shootout at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane moves the puck toward Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich during a shootout at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

"Not a very good first period by us," coach Derek Lalonde said. "They scored on the first two chances. We gave up the zone so easily, I just don’t understand it — like, when we are a good team and we are on, we are on our toes and we’re gapped up. We just had a sogginess about us, so I just asked the guys to be a little more on their toes.

"For us to play that poorly in the first period, and for us to bounce back in the second, against a very good team, it’s a quality win for us."

Fab

Fabbri scored for the first time since Dec. 12 (producing just his second point in that stretch) when he made it 2-1 midway through the second period. Fabbri was at the net, in position to swipe in Ollli Määttä's pass; Daniel Sprong also earned an assist. Earlier in the season, Fabbri returned from injury and went on a tear, scoring six goals in a seven-game span, but Thursday was his first point since an assist on Dec. 29. Fabbri added his second score of the game at 5:24 of the third period, connecting on Sprong's rebound and finishing Patrick Kane's setup.

LA Kings defenseman Jordan Spence (21) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) battle for the puck in the first period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
LA Kings defenseman Jordan Spence (21) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) battle for the puck in the first period at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

Fit

The Wings were thwarted by Rittich on three shots on net during a power play late in the second period, but the advantage at least provided a boost. On the shift right after the power play ended, captain Dylan Larkin won a puck battle with Mikey Anderson behind L.A.'s net and sent the puck all the way out to Petry. The defenseman unwound a slap shot, ripping the puck from the blue line to pick up his second goal of the season.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' 2-goal rally gives them 4-3 SO win over L.A. Kings