Music: {allcanada} Kings spoil NHL coaching debut of Senators' Cameron

Thursday, December 11, 2014

{allcanada} Kings spoil NHL coaching debut of Senators' Cameron

Christmas - Michael Bublé / Elf (2003) / Scrooged

OTTAWA -- A three-assist game by defenseman Jake Muzzin helped the Los Angeles Kings defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre, spoiling the NHL debut of Ottawa coach Dave Cameron.

Muzzin had assists on two goals in 1:42 by Anze Kopitar and Trevor Lewis early in the third period to break open a tie game and give the Kings a 4-2 lead.

The Senators drew to within 4-3 on a goal by defenseman Jared Cowen with 1:21 left in the third period, but Kings forward Tanner Pearson scored into the empty net to seal the Los Angeles win.

Ottawa's Mark Stone scored a shorthanded goal on a rebound at 1:44 of the third period to tie the game 2-2, kicking the puck up to his stuck and tucking it around Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick.

During the same power play, Kopitar gave the Kings the lead when he took a pass deep in the slot from defenseman Drew Doughty and swept around Senators goaltender Craig Anderson at 2:20. It was Kopitar's sixth goal, his first in 11 games.

Lewis made it 4-2 at 4:02 when Senators defenseman Chris Phillips fell down inside the Ottawa blue line, allowing room down the right wing for Kings forward Tyler Toffoli, who had taken a pass from Muzzin.

Toffoli found Lewis open at the far post, and Lewis had lots of time to lift the puck over Anderson and into the top of the net for his fourth goal.

Matt Greene and Justin Williams scored for the first two goals for the Kings, and Bobby Ryan opened the scoring for the Senators.

Ryan, playing with a broken finger, scored what will be a candidate for goal of the year to cut the Kings lead to 2-1 at 14:08 of the second period.

Ryan deked his way around Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb to put himself in clean on Quick. He put the puck around Quick with a forehand-backhand deke, tucking it into the open side of the net to Quick's right for his sixth goal.

The Senators, who have outshot the opposition in five games this season, outshot the Kings 14-5 in the first period, but it was Los Angeles that scored first early in the second period.

Kings center Jeff Carter won a draw from Zack Smith to the left of Anderson. Greene's high shot through traffic beat Anderson on the glove side at 1:47.

The puck appeared to change direction in front of Anderson. The goal was upheld after video review.

The Kings made it 2-0 at 9:17 of the second when a pass by Muzzin bounced over the stick of Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson at the Ottawa blue line, giving Williams some room on the right wing.

Senators defenseman Codi Ceci came across the ice to help Karlsson, and Williams' intended pass for Marian Gaborik, breaking for the far post, deflected off Ceci's stick and between Anderson's pads.

The Senators had that generous edge in shots in the first period, the most dangerous a shot by Alex Chiasson at 14:32 that a sprawling Quick stopped with his glove on the goal line.

The play was reviewed, and video review supported the referee's call that the puck did not cross the goal line.

Ottawa forward Chris Neil left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.

Senators left wing Clark MacArthur did not play because of illness. His place on a line with Kyle Turris and Stone was taken by Colin Greening, who played after being a healthy scratch for the past four games.

The Senators played again without defenseman Marc Methot, who has been battling a back/hip injury. Methot played his first two games of the season last week, but has now missed the past two games.

The Kings are at the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, and the Senators play at the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.

Jack Frost (1998) / Wintersong - Sarah McLachlan / The Polar Express