Artemi Panarin Nets His First Goal for the Kings in Win Against the Islanders

Artemi Panarin Shines in Kings’ Victory Over Islanders

Artemi Panarin marked his first goal as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, leading the team to a 5-3 victory against the New York Islanders on Thursday night. This win also represented the Kings’ inaugural success under interim head coach D.J. Smith.

In addition to Panarin’s contributions, teammates Mikey Anderson and Adrian Kempe each recorded one goal and one assist. Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves. Samuel Helenius and Alex Laferriere also found the net, marking only the Kings’ second win since January.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar, in his milestone 1,500th game, registered an assist. With this achievement, he becomes the 25th player in NHL history to reach such a significant milestone. As Kopitar concludes his 20-season tenure in Los Angeles, he is now just five points shy of surpassing Marcel Dionne as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

The Islanders found some momentum late in the game, with Bo Horvat scoring an unexpected goal off a faceoff with just one second left in the second period. Despite this effort, New York suffered a second consecutive blowout loss in Southern California.

Defenseman Adam Pelech notched a shorthanded goal, marking the second of his 11-year career, while Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots for the Islanders. Prior to this defeat, New York had enjoyed a five-game winning streak but fell to the Ducks and Kings, allowing a combined total of 10 goals over the two nights.

Emil Heineman added a late goal with 1:59 remaining, as Sorokin was pulled from the net to create an extra offensive presence.

D.J. Smith took over as coach on Sunday following a series of poor performances that had left the Kings outside the playoff picture. The team showed signs of improvement in his debut, despite a loss to the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.

Panarin’s integration into the Kings has been noteworthy since his acquisition from the Rangers and a $22-million contract extension last month. His scoring performance on Thursday was particularly timely, as he netted his first goal just 3:17 into the game, thanks to a setup from Kopitar. This goal also marked Panarin’s 10th career season with at least 20 goals.

Looking ahead, the Kings will face off against the Montreal Canadiens at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.