LOS ANGELES — Viktor Arvidsson scored the tying goal with 1:21 left in regulation, and the Los Angeles Kings earned a playoff rematch with Edmonton by jumping into third place in the Pacific Division with a 5-4 overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
The Kings’ comeback and the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights’ loss to Anaheim propelled Los Angeles into a third straight postseason meeting with the Oilers, who beat the Kings in both of their previous two first-round matchups. Los Angeles (44-27-11) finished with 99 points, one ahead of the Knights (45-29-8).
Los Angeles took a two-goal lead into the third period against Chicago, but promptly blew it when the Blackhawks scored three times in five minutes. The Kings finally evened it when Arvidsson scored his second goal of the night with goalie Cam Talbot pulled for an extra attacker.
With third place secured by the single point for reaching overtime because of the Kings’ advantage in a tiebreaker, Adrian Kempe won the game with an unassisted goal just six seconds into OT.
Tyler Johnson, Joey Anderson and Ryan Donato scored in the third-period flurry by the Blackhawks, with Donato getting the tiebreaker with 13:32 to play in the final game of the NHL’s regular season.
Arvidsson had two goals and an assist in another huge game for a veteran who missed 63 games this season with injuries. Quinton Byfield scored his 20th goal for the Kings, while Trevor Moore also scored and Phillip Danault had three assists.
Talbot made just nine saves.
Lukas Reichel also scored and Arvid Soderblom stopped 31 shots for the Blackhawks, who lost their sixth consecutive game to finish with the second-fewest points in the NHL for the second consecutive season.
Chicago finished with 52 points — the Original Six franchise’s fewest in a season since earning 50 in 1955-56.
After its fourth consecutive spring without a playoff berth, Chicago will have the second-best odds to win the upcoming draft lottery.
Chicago won the lottery with the third-best odds last year to claim Connor Bedard, who finished his rookie season with 61 points in 68 games, including 28 in his final 29 games after returning from injury in mid-February. Bedard led all NHL rookies in points and goals (22) while tying Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber for the most assists (39).
Byfield put the Kings ahead in the second period when he ended his 19-game goal drought since March 7 with a tap-in redirection from the Blackhawks’ crease. The former No. 2 overall pick is only the third player in Kings history to record a 20-goal season before his 22nd birthday.
Moore scored his team-leading and career-best 31st goal 80 seconds later, but Johnson scored his eighth power-play goal of the season for Chicago early in the third. Anderson then tied it after 21-year-old Landon Slaggert impressively took the puck away from Kings captain Anze Kopitar along the boards.
Donato then knocked home MacKenzie Entwhistle’s shot with 13:32 left in regulation, silencing the Kings’ stunned crowd.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: The NHL draft lottery in early May.
Kings: Game 1 of the first round Monday night at second-place Edmonton.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
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