Cates, Flyers snap Kings' unbeaten streak with 4-2 win
Noah Cates celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on December 31, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) ((Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images))
LOS ANGELES - Noah Cates scored a go-ahead, short-handed goal in the third period, Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist and the Philadelphia Flyers snapped the Los Angeles Kings seven-game point streak with a 4-2 victory Saturday afternoon.
Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny also scored for the Flyers, who have won three of their past five. Rookie Samuel Ersson stopped 27 shots.
Philip Danault had a goal and extended his point streak to seven for the Kings, who were 6-0-1 coming into the game. Adrian Kempe also scored and Jonathan Quick made 19 saves.
Cates scored the go-ahead goal at 13:01 of the third when his shot from the point went into the upper corner of the net. Konecny added an empty-net score with 27 seconds remaining.
Kempe opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 9:46 of the first period. The Kings had a two-man advantage and Kempe hammered in a one-timer from the right faceoff dot after getting a pass from defenseman Drew Doughty.
Laughton evened it at 12:15 of the first on the power play when he beat Quick on the short side with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle.
But 57 seconds later, Danault extended his point streak and gave the Kings a 2-1 lead when he got a pass from Viktor Arvidsson on a two-on-one rush and put a slap shot under Ersson's glove from the left faceoff circle.
Danault, who has five goals and four assists during his streak, matched a career high set last season.
Tippett tied it at 9:02 of the second when he weaved past Los Angeles' defense and knocked a snapshot into the upper corner of the net.
GRAND MILESTONE
Los Angeles defenseman Alexander Edler played in his 1,000th NHL game. He became the 15th Swedish-born skater and sixth defenseman to reach that mark. He also was the 16th player to reach 1,000 games in 2022, marking the third calendar year in league history with as many players reaching the milestone (18 in 2002 and 16 in 2009).
UP NEXT
Flyers: Continue their road trip against Anaheim on Monday.
Kings: Host Dallas on Tuesday.