Kempe scores in overtime to lift the Kings to a 5-4 win over the Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets' Denton Mateychuk, left, and Los Angeles Kings' Adrian Kempe jockey for position in front of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Los Angeles Kings' Anton Forsberg, top, makes a save against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete) — Columbus Blue Jackets' Denton Mateychuk, left, and Los Angeles Kings' Adrian Kempe jockey for position in front of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, March 9, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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4:18 PM on Monday, March 9

By NICOLE KRAFT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his second goal of the game with 1:26 left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

With the victory, Los Angeles moved within a point of Seattle in the race for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Columbus tied the score late for the second straight home game. Kirill Marchenko scored on the power play at 18:04 to force the extra period.

Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists. Scott Laughton scored for the second straight game since joining the Kings from Toronto and added an assist. Artemi Panarin also scored. Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for Los Angeles in the opener of a five-game trip.

Connor Garland scored twice — his first goals since coming to Columbus from Vancouver — and Denton Mateychuk added a goal and an assist. Jet Greaves made 26 saves for Columbus, which has lost two straight at home.

The Blue Jackets are two points behind Boston in the race for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and three points behind the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division.

Los Angeles killed off a high-sticking double minor to start the game before Dumoulin set up Laughton in front of the net at 6:46 of the first. Panarin made it 2-0 at 14:47 with his second goal since joining the Kings from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

Garland cut the lead in half with 2:25 left in the period, snapping a career-long 24-game scoring drought. Mateychuk tied it with 9:07 remaining in the second period, and Garland’s second goal put Columbus ahead 81 seconds later.

The lead was short-lived as Kempe tied the game with 5:51 remaining in the second period. Kopitar’s assist was his 167th on a game-tying goal, the most in Kings history.

Dumoulin scored with 9:53 left in the third period, but Marchenko tied it with a power-play goal with 1:56 left,

Columbus defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who missed 42 games earlier this season due to injury, left in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return.

The game had a rare 4 p.m. weekday start after being rescheduled from Jan. 26, due to a blizzard in Columbus.

Up next

Kings: Visit Boston on Tuesday.

Blue Jackets: Visit Tampa on Tuesday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL