Kings at Bruins

The Los Angeles Kings are not waiving the white flag on the 2025-26 NHL season, despite going 3-6-1 in their last 10. Most recently, the Kings won in Columbus, and arrive at TD Garden with the number 8 in common with the Bruins. That commonality is LA’s number of regulation road losses and Boston’s number of regulation home losses.

The Bruins have home games tonight (vs. a formidable Kings squad) and again on Thursday vs. San Jose. Since the Bruins keep failing to put together 60-minute efforts on the road, the pressure is mounting to take two points from their remaining home games, especially since, once this week’s two home games have been played, the Bruins will have six home games left and 11 on the road.

Darcy Kuemper vs. Jeremy Swayman in the nets.

Unless, the Bruins and Kings miraculously advance to the Stanley Cup final they should have played in 2014, tonight is Anze Kopitar’s last appearance in Boston. Kopitar, like David Krejci, holds the rare distinction of leading two different Stanley Cup playoffs in scoring.

This is also our first look at Artemi Panarin in a Kings uniform.

FIRST PERIOD

Swayman is tested first, when Adrian Kempe collects a pass off a puck that bounced on Charlie McAvoy at the offensive blue line. Kempe tries stick side, Swayman gets it.

Most of the play, however, has been Boston’s, with smart dumps, puck recoveries, alert movements at the points and traffic at the net. Both teams only have the one shot on net through the game’s first five minutes, but the Bruins have the edge in play.

LA has a chance, but Mikey Eyssimont blocks the cross-ice pass.

In one of those too-frequent, center-ice faceoffs not following a goal or starting a period, Fraser Minten won an extended battle to take a faceoff from Kopitar, something I would grab the puck over.

Codi Ceci pinched off Mark Kastelic, who was extended and off balance, taking a rough rub into the sideboards at the end of the LA bench. The Bruins objected, and Kastelic joined the fray as well. Ceci gets a two-minute, game-management minor (this was not a penalty far as Rink Rap was concerned). But the Bruins go to the game’s first power play at the 10:19 mark of the opening period.

David Pastrnak has trouble with a puck near the right point, McAvoy cannot keep it in and, worse, it’s going the other way for a potential breakaway that McAvoy cancels by taking a tripping penalty. So it’s 4v4 for the next 1:17.

Kastelic’s in a bad way. He chase a dump-in and took a rub-out at the end boards, flailed his stick at a defenseman and no call – ref was right there – Kastelic was looking for trouble at the other end when the shift ended. He can’t wait for a willing combatant.

Nifty play from Morgan Geekie out to Pastrnak and has room and time but passes right circle to Andrew Peeke, who cannot corral on the right shot (difficult position to take that pass).

Mason Lohrei looks extremely dialed in tonight. His decisions and execution with the puck have been excellent thus far. Lohrei is playing is off-side opposite Hampus Lindholm. Once again, Henri Jokiharju sits.

Defenseman Brandt Clarke made a spin-around wrist shot from the right halfwall that caught a piece of Pavel Zacha on its way to Swayman, who did not budge.

Minten streaks into the left circle, and his shot rings the far post with 1:39 left in the period.

Period ends scoreless; the Kings hold a 6-3 shots advantage (since corrected to 5-3). The Bruins had their second and third in the seventh minute of action, but Minten did hit the post late in the period.

SECOND PERIOD

Nikita Zadorov turns it over to Sam Malott, whose shot sizzles wide of the far post. The LA forecheck was just bothersome enough to affect Zadorov’s outlet.

Both teams are trying hard to generate offense the old-fashioned way, and hope for some puck luck while they’re at it.

Nice relay from McAvoy to Jonathan Aspirot, who passes cross-ice to Pastrnak, who finds Marat Khusnutdinov, whose shot his intercepted by Kuemper’s stickside shoulder. Nice stop.

Minten finds Geekie late into the slot for the one-timer – save Kuemper, who also stopped Viktor Arvidsson from the left circle.

We’re 6:44 into the second period, and the Bruins have landed all three, second-period shots.

Elias Lindholm is open in the left circle, but he needs to settle the puck and still rips it over the net, off the glass and out of play. Lindholm can really snap the puck and should be able to generate some serious velocity without the big wind-up. Elias has a chat with new King Scott Laughton.

Kempe winds up without the puck and soars into the Bruins zone looking for a pass. On the way, he crosschecks down McAvoy and gets a penalty at 8:08. Bruins to the powerplay for the second time. Last time, McAvoy got a quick even-upper.

Hampus Lindholm has all kinds of daylight from the left point but loses the puck taking it to the middle, and Laughton takes off, goes for the deke, but Swayman gives him nothing and there is no shot.

The Kings’ persistent penalty killers are again disruptive, and this time Alex Laferriere takes it to the net – save Swayman, scramble ensues, and here’s the penalty on Boston – Hampus Lindholm for hooking with 26 seconds left on the Kempe penalty.

Kempe is out, LA to the PP … Panarin in the high slot, it’s blocked.

Kempe low right circle, Swayman gets a piece. Huge save in a scoreless game. Bruins get the kill.

Zadorov and Samuel Helenius drop the gloves, it’s a heavyweight bout, but the only damage seems to be Helenius’ helmet, which was knocked off his head and spun across the ice into the Boston net. Doesn’t count. We’re still scoreless.

Interference penalty on Clarke with 5:17 remaining in the second period. Bruins to their third powerplay of the night and trying to cut one short with a goal rather than their own penalty.

Again – this time Trevor Moore and Quinton Byfield – try to trap Hampus Lindholm.

Zacha misses from the left circle.

Minten tips a point shot off the crossbar. Sean Kuraly tips a point shot wide of the right post.

Byfield has a rushed 2-on-1 with Panarin, keeps and shoots and misses.

Moore with a steal. He accelerates down the LW and rings the post.

Posts through two periods are: Minten 2, LA 1.

Shots through two: 12-8 Boston.

The Bruins put on a much-improved powerplay in their third try, but the Kings – especially Moore and Laferriere – continue to check the dickens out of Boston’s point men and the defensemen on even-strength breakouts.

THIRD PERIOD

Kempe takes the puck hard to the right post, he and Zadorov knock the net off its moorings. Zadorov shoves Kempe, officials restrain Kempe. One of those games.

Bruins avert an unfair goal against by winning a post-icing D-zone faceoff and getting out. LA left D’man Mikey Anderson swerved away from the bank shot and got a bad icing call.

Kings playing a smart game, no wonder their road record is so good.

Swayman stops another deflected shot. He has been outstanding tonight.

Mason Lohrei’s shot from the top of the right circle finds an opening, and it’s 1-0 Bruins with 11:38 remaining.

Alex Turcotte crosschecks Eyssimont onto his stomach at the Bruins’ door. The Bruins converge as Turcotte skips onto the visitors’ bench, but an alert Kuraly covers what could have been two open point men as LA carried the puck into the Bruins zone 2-on-2.

The Kings tie the game with 6:00 remaining, as Drew Doughty’s one-time blast from the right point beats Swayman, and it’s a 1-1 game.

Kuemper stops Pastrnak, but Byfield to the box for holding the opponent’s stick. Solid positioning by LA’s penalty killers. …

This game goes to overtime. The Kings on the road and the Bruins at home stay at 8 regulation losses apiece. Both teams need the second point.

OVERTIME

Panarin through a screen. Save Swayman.

McAvoy from Pastrnak is in alone, deke to the backhand, and the Bruins survive a tough challenge from the pesky Kings. Boston wins 2-1. Time of the goal 39 seconds of overtime, and the Bruins line up to shake hands with Kopitar, who gets a big hug from Bruins coach Marco Sturm.

Macklin Celebrini, another generational talent at the beginning of his career, is in here on Thursday night with the San Jose Sharks, who are battling the Kings for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Drive safely.