Adrian Kempe scores winner, Kings rally past undermanned Caps

WASHINGTON — Adrian Kempe scored the tiebreaking extremity midway done the 3rd play to springiness the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 triumph implicit the undermanned Washington Capitals connected Sunday night.

Washington was missing forwards Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and Michael Sgarbossa, each connected the COVID-19 list. Oshie was placed connected the database earlier Sunday, and Sgarbossa was a precocious scratch.

Garret Sparks, recalled from the minors earlier the game, stopped 33 shots for his archetypal NHL triumph since March 20, 2019.

Blake Lizotte scored short-handed and Christian Wolanin besides had a extremity for the Kings, who trailed by 2 precocious successful the 2nd period.

Connor McMichael and Justin Schultz each had a extremity for Washington.

Kempe’s 12th extremity of the season, which fluttered disconnected his instrumentality successful beforehand of the net, bushed Vitek Vanecek, who made 21 saves.

The Capitals had won their past 5 games against the Kings.

Washington took the pb astatine 7:58 of the archetypal connected McMichael’s 4th goal, which was assisted by Joe Snively, a autochthonal of adjacent Virginia who was making his NHL debut.

Schultz’s 2nd extremity of the season, his archetypal since opening night, came a 2nd aft a four-minute powerfulness play expired to springiness Washington a 2-0 vantage astatine 13:47 of the second.

Lizotte’s 3rd extremity chopped Washington’s pb to 2-1 astatine 17:04 of the second.

Wolanin’s archetypal NHL extremity since March 14, 2019, astatine 2:50 of the 3rd tied the people astatine 2.

NOTES: Washington guardant Tom Wilson missed his 4th consecutive crippled with an upper-body injury. He was astatine Sunday’s greeting skate but wore a non-contact jersey. He’s been placed connected injured reserve. … Capitals guardant Garnet Hathaway was activated from the COVID-19 list. He assisted connected Schultz’s goal. … Linesman Julian Fournier was unavailable for the game, which was officiated by 2 referees and 1 linesman. … The Kings placed guardant Phillip Danault connected the COVID-19 list.