Devils rally late to beat Kings in overtime

Red-hot Dawson Mercer scored his second goal of the game 2:30 into overtime and the New Jersey Devils rallied late to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Thursday night at Prudential Center in Newark.

Tomas Tatar and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils, with Hischier netting the tying goal with 38 seconds left in regulation. Vitek Vanecek had 19 saves.

Anze Kopitar, Viktor Arvidsson and defenseman Sean Durzi scored for Los Angeles. Pheonix Copley made 27 saves.

Mercer, who has seven goals in five games, tipped a shot by Dougie Hamilton past Copley for the game-winner.

Hischier tied it when he tipped Jack Hughes’ shot past Copley with the Devils’ net empty.

Durzi put the Kings ahead 3-2 with 4:19 to play in the third period. He skated in from the left point, took a pass from Kopitar and beat Vanecek for his seventh goal of the season.


Dawson Mercer celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in the Devils' 4-3 OT win over the Kings.
Dawson Mercer celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal in the Devils’ 4-3 OT win over the Kings.
AP

Mercer and Tatar rallied the Devils from a two-goal deficit, setting each other up for goals late in the second period and early in the third.

Mercer, who hit the post in the first period, tied it 2:23 into the third, taking a drop pass from Tatar and beating Copley from the right circle. Mercer is riding a career-high five-game goal streak, giving him 17 for the season — one more than in his rookie season.


NIco Hischier celebrates after scoring a third-period goal in the Devils' win.
NIco Hischier celebrates after scoring a third-period goal in the Devils’ win.
NHLI via Getty Images

Kopitar and Arvidsson staked the Kings to a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Kopitar opened the scoring at 7:24, beating Vanecek on a breakaway by rolling a slow shot between his legs for his 20th. The Kings’ captain has goals in four straight games.

Arvidsson got his 17th of the season a little more than four minutes later on a 2-on-1 with Kevin Fiala. Vanecek stopped Fiala’s shot but Arvidsson put the rebound into an open net.

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