Kings’ Kopitar Sets Franchise Record in Wild 6-4 Loss to Devils

Los Angeles Kings veteran Anze Kopitar etched his name in franchise history by becoming the team's all-time points leader during a thrilling 6-4 defeat to New Jersey. The milestone came as part of a busy NHL Saturday that featured multiple overtime games and standout performances across the league.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar reached a historic milestone Saturday night, claiming the franchise record for most career points, though his achievement came during a thrilling 6-4 defeat to the New Jersey Devils in Newark.

Kopitar found the net twice to reach 1,308 career points, surpassing Marcel Dionne’s long-standing Kings record. The veteran center, who recently announced this 20th season with Los Angeles will be his last, has accumulated 450 goals and 858 assists across 1,505 NHL games.

Jack Hughes delivered the decisive blow for New Jersey, netting the go-ahead score late in the final period to cap off an exciting comeback victory. Nico Hischier led the Devils’ offensive charge with two goals in a four-point night, while Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier each contributed a goal and assist. Cody Glass rounded out the scoring for New Jersey, which ended a two-game losing streak behind Jake Allen’s 27-save performance.

Despite the loss, Los Angeles received strong contributions from Artemi Panarin, who recorded three points including one goal, and Taylor Ward, who also scored. Brandt Clarke distributed three assists for the Kings, who remain in contention for the Western Conference’s final wild-card position. Anton Forsberg made 22 stops in the losing effort.

Elsewhere around the NHL, Winnipeg moved closer to playoff contention with a 3-1 victory over league-leading Colorado. Connor Hellebuyck was stellar between the pipes with 28 saves, while Kyle Connor provided a goal and assist. Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored for the Jets, who now sit five points behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Dallas extended their franchise-record point streak to 15 games (14-0-1) with a 3-2 overtime victory over Detroit. Thomas Harley scored the winner 2:06 into the extra period, while Wyatt Johnston contributed a goal and assist for the Stars.

Vegas claimed first place in the Pacific Division by blanking Chicago 4-0 at home. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice and added an assist, marking his second consecutive three-point performance. Adin Hill earned his first shutout of the season with 21 saves as the Golden Knights leapfrogged Anaheim atop the division standings.

Boston ended a seven-game road winless streak with a shootout victory over Washington, decided in the ninth round by Fraser Minten’s lone goal. Charlie McAvoy scored twice for the Bruins to extend his point streak to six games.

Pittsburgh rallied from an early two-goal deficit to defeat Utah 4-3, with Noel Acciari providing the game-winner with less than 12 minutes remaining. San Jose continued their recent success with a 4-2 victory over Montreal, led by Macklin Celebrini’s two goals and assist.

Buffalo defeated Toronto 3-2 in a shootout, with Alex Tuch scoring the decisive goal. The Sabres have now won nine of their last 10 games. Carolina maintained their Eastern Conference lead with a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay, highlighted by Jordan Martinook’s third-period winner.

Ottawa shut out Anaheim 2-0 behind Linus Ullmark’s 23-save performance, while New York Rangers held off Minnesota 4-2 despite Igor Shesterkin facing a career-high 46 shots. The Islanders secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Calgary to maintain their playoff positioning, and Columbus extended their point streak to nine games with a shootout win over Philadelphia.

Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Vancouver, as new acquisition Bobby McMann scored twice in his debut with the Kraken.