Game 3 report: Kings 2, Sharks 1 (OT)

Key play: Tanner Pearson picked up a loose puck along the left-wing boards and then converted on a 2-on-1 break to score the winning goal 3:47 into sudden-death overtime to give the Kings a 2-1 victory Monday over the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The series: The Sharks lead was cut to 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday at the SAP Center.

Pivotal performer: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick gave up a goal to Joe Thornton on the Sharks’ first shot of the game, after only 30 seconds. Quick then stopped the next 28 shots he faced in a vintage performance from the 2012 Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the playoffs.

Quote, unquote: “Not the start we wanted, obviously,” Pearson said. “We trust each other that we’re going to come back. Look over the years at what this team has done. … It’s a confident group when our backs are against the wall. We’re still there. We’ve got to fight back to even the series.”

Injury update: Kings defenseman Alec Martinez sat out for the second consecutive game and for the sixth time in the last seven games because of an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Matt Greene continues to skate with his teammates, but there’s no timetable for his return from shoulder surgery.

Lineup shuffle: Kings coach Darryl Sutter returned left wing Kyle Clifford to the lineup after replacing him with Nick Shore for Game 2. Clifford, Trevor Lewis and Kris Versteeg combined to form an effective fourth line for Sutter for Game 3.

Game report: Jets 4, Kings 3 (shootout)

Key play: Mark Scheifele scored the only goal in a shootout and the Winnipeg Jets rallied for a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Kings at Staples Center. Scheifele fired a shot past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick in the second round.

Pivotal performer: Left wing Milan Lucic set up Kings teammate Tanner Pearson’s first-period goal with an alert cross-ice pass from along the left wing boards. Lucic’s assist was his 35th of the season, tying his career high. He had 35 while with the Boston Bruins in 2013-14 and 2011-12.

Quote, unquote: “We’re going to have to change our attitude before the playoffs start or else we’re not going to last long,” defenseman Jake Muzzin said after the Kings squandered a three-goal lead. “Everyone’s got to buy in. Everyone’s got to dig down and do their job.”

Between the pipes: Quick made his 68th appearance of the season and looked to extend his franchise record for victories to 41. He made 28 saves in regulation plus overtime. Ondrej Pavelec played for the 33rd time for the Jets, who failed to qualify for the playoffs. He made 26 saves plus three more in the shootout.

Injury updates: Kings defenseman Alec Martinez sat out for the fourth game because of an injury the team has declined to disclose. Winger Marian Gaborik (knee) and defenseman Matt Greene (shoulder) skated with their teammates for at least part of their morning skate.

Game report: Kings 4, Capitals 3 (OT)

Key play: Jeff Carter scored 2:50 into 3-on-3 overtime to give the Kings a 4-3 victory Wednesday over the Washington Capitals at Staples Center. Carter joined the play after the Kings changed forwards on a rush up the ice. The Capitals lost track of him and he scored from the right wing. The Kings squandered a three-goal lead in the third period but returned to first place in the Pacific Division with their win and the Ducks’ loss to the Colorado Avalanche..

Pivotal performer: Winger Tanner Pearson assisted on the Kings’ first two goals, a power-play strike by center Vincent Lecavalier and an even-strength marker by defenseman Jake Muzzin. The Kings went on to take what appeared to be a commanding 3-0 lead by the end of the first period.

Quote, unquote: “We played a good first period, started to slow down a bit,” Carter said. “We can’t let teams back in the game like that. We have to play the full 60 (minutes). These games are huge. We’ll take the two points, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Welcome back: The Kings honored ex-teammates Mike Richards and Justin Williams with separate scoreboard videos during TV timeouts during the first period. Richards and Williams were given standing ovations by Kings fans during their first games back at Staples Center.

Dropping the gloves: Dwight King of the Kings and Mike Weber fought to a draw near the end of the first period, with King earning a takedown to end it. In the second, Kyle Clifford of the Kings fought a spirited battle with Tom Wilson of the Capitals.

Game report: Kings 3, Canadiens 2

Key play(s): Anze Kopitar and Tanner Pearson scored less than four minutes into the game and the Kings went on to take a 3-2 victory Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens at Staples Center. The victory enabled the Kings to stay in first place in the Pacific Division.

Pivotal performer: Kings forward Dwight King scored a third-period goal on a breakaway after Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban fell and lost control of the puck at center ice. King faked Montreal goalie Ben Scrivens out of position and slipped a shot into the back of the net.

Quote, unquote: “Once I knew how much time I had, that was the first thing that crossed my mind,” King said of faking and then shooting and scoring his seventh of the season. “I figured I’d try it and for once it worked. That’s the first time it’s ever worked.”

Between the pipes: Scrivens returned to Staples Center for the first time since the Canadiens acquired the former Kings backup goalie Dec. 28 from the Edmonton Oilers. Jonathan Quick started for the Kings for the second consecutive game.

Looking ahead: The Kings play host to the Ducks in a Freeway Series battle for first place. The Ducks defeated the Kings 4-2 on Sunday at the Honda Center and are 2-1 against their rivals this season. The Ducks also are 10-1-2 against the Kings in the last 13 regular-season meetings.

Game report: LA Kings 2, Sabres 0

Key play: Tanner Pearson scored two goals, one in the second period and another in the third, to send the Kings to a 2-0 victory Saturday over the Buffalo Sabres at Staples Center. The Pacific Division-leading Kings won their fourth in a row without scoring more than two goals in a game.

Pivotal performer: Kings goalie Jhonas Enroth made 23 saves for his second shutout of the season. He started in goal for the first time since a 1-0 loss Feb. 14 against the New Jersey Devils. His last victory was Jan. 24 against the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Quick is expected to start Sunday against the Ducks.

Welcome back: Defenseman Rob Scuderi was credited an assist in his Kings return after he was acquired Friday from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. Scuderi received a warm ovation while a video tribute played on the scoreboard during a first-period timeout.

Quote, unquote: “I’m not an overly emotional guy,” Scuderi said of the video tribute. “I don’t show a whole lot, but it was pretty special. I was looking for an opportunity to go back to the NHL. It’s a privilege to play in this league, but it made it a lot sweeter to come back to the Kings. It meant a lot. I appreciated it.”

Lineup shuffle: Kings defenseman Jamie McBain was scratched from the lineup in order to make way for Scuderi, who was paired with Alec Martinez to start the game. McBain was the odd man out of the lineup after defenseman Kevin Gravel was assigned to Ontario of the AHL on Friday.

Game report: Kings 4, Oilers 3

Key play: Nick Shore scored with 1:39 remaining in the game to give the Kings a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Edmonton Oilers at Staples Center. Shore’s goal, his second of the season, came only seconds after a power play ended.

Pivotal performers: Marian Gaborik and Tanner Pearson each scored a goal and had an assist to propel the Kings to a 2-0 in the first period. Gaborik’s goal was his first since Oct. 18 against the Colorado Avalanche, ending an 11-game drought.

Quote, unquote: “We had some good shifts together,” Gaborik of clicking with Pearson. “We had some good forechecks. We were better getting to pucks in the first period. It’s always good to get on the board, especially in a win. Hopefully, I can pick it up from here.”

Milestone moments: Center Anze Kopitar played in his 700th game in the NHL, all with the Kings. He is one of eight players to have played 700 games with the Kings. Drew Doughty played in his 541st game, tying Sean O’Donnell for fifth on the team’s all-time list among defensemen.

Between the pipes: Jonathan Quick returned to the Kings’ net after Jhonas Enroth started in a 2-1 victory Thursday over the New York Islanders. Cam Talbot started for the Oilers after Anders Nilsson was in goal for a victory Wednesday over the Ducks and a loss Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.

Injury updates: Oilers rookie Connor McDavid remained sidelined by a broken collarbone suffered during a Nov. 3 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. McDavid, the No. 1 overall draft pick last June, is expected to be out for several months. Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn’t play because of an illness.

Final: Kings 3, Oilers 2

The Kings won their fifth in a row, taking a 3-2 victory Sunday from the Edmonton Oilers thanks to a late power-play goal from Tanner Pearson and a favorable video review from the War Room in Toronto in the closing seconds. Here’s a link to the video of the Connor McDavid goal that wasn’t, plus the NHL’s explanation: http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=42208

Here’s the scoring summary: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/GS020120.HTM

Here are the expanded statistics: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/ES020120.HTM

Here’s a quote from McDavid, courtesy the Oilers: “It all happened so fast, I didn’t know what to think. … It’s a frustrating way to lose.”