The Sports Report: Kings mount amazing comeback to win Game 1

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From Helene Elliott: Center Anze Kopitar has been one of the NHL’s premier two-way forwards since he debuted with the Kings in 2006, willingly sacrificing superstar-level point totals for the satisfaction of holding opponents’ top scorers in check. At 35 he not only led the Kings in scoring for the 15th time in the past 16 seasons, he was a strong candidate to become a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top defensive forward.

With injuries keeping forwards Kevin Fiala and Gabe Vilardi out of the lineup Monday at Rogers Place for Game 1 of the Kings’ first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings’ success depended even more than usual on Kopitar having a significant impact at both ends of the ice. And he came through emphatically, factoring into all four of the Kings’ goals in a stunning 4-3 overtime comeback.

“Win Game number one. That’s all that counts,” Kopitar said of his extraordinary feats in a game the Kings held NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid off the scoresheet.

Kopitar tied the score during a power play with 16.7 seconds left in the third period and earned the second assist on Alex Iafallo’s winner, scored during a power play nine minutes and 19 seconds into sudden-death play. The Oilers had set an NHL record with a 32.4% power–play success rate during the season, but the Kings were fourth, at 25.3%

“Throughout the season yes we had a good power play. The percentage showed that,” Kopitar said. “But I feel it was more the timing of the goals versus just relying on the power play. And tonight was no different, obviously, getting the tying goal very late.”

Kopitar’s defensive assignment was to stop Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl, who was second to McDavid in the scoring race. Draisaitl scored the Oilers’ first goal, a lead Evan Bouchard doubled with a five-on-three power play goal. But Adrian Kempe cut that to 2-1 early in the third period with a nifty backhander and scored from the right circle to cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-2 at 11:23 of the third period.

Kopitar said the Kings weren’t discouraged at being down 2-0. “You’re down two and you can pretty much change the whole momentum of the game with the one shot,” he said. “Juice [Kempe] got us going and we were able to roll from there.

“Within a series like that you’re just trying to chip away and build whatever momentum you can build and it worked out for us.”

NHL PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific

Western Conference

Edmonton [P2] vs. Kings [P3]
Game 1: Kings 4, at Edmonton 3 (OT)
Wed. at Edmonton, 7 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Kings, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Kings, 6 p.m., TBS
*Tuesday, April 25 at Edmonton, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Kings, TBD
*Monday, May 1 at Edmonton TBD

Colorado [C1] vs. Seattle [WC1]
Tonight at Colorado, 7 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Seattle, 7 p.m., TBS
Monday at Seattle, 7 p.m., TBS
*Wed., April 26 at Colorado, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Seattle, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Colorado, TBD

Dallas [C2] vs. Minnesota [C3]
Game 1: Minnesota at Dallas
Wednesday at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Friday at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Sunday at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., TBS
*Tuesday, April 25 at Dallas, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Minnesota, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Dallas, TBD

Vegas [P1] vs. Winnipeg [WC2]
Tonight at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday at Vegas, 7 p.m., TBS
Saturday at Winnipeg, 1 p.m., TBS
Monday at Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Thursday, April 27 Vegas, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Winnipeg, TBD
*Monday, May 1 at Vegas, TBD

Eastern Conference

Boston [A1] vs. Florida [WC2]
Game 1: at Boston 3, Florida 1
Wednesday at Boston, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Florida, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Florida, 12:30 p.m., TNT
*Wed., April 26 at Boston, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Florida, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Boston, TBD

Toronto [A2] vs. Tampa Bay [A3]
Tonight at Toronto, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Toronto, 4 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m., TBS
Monday at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m., TBS
*Thursday, April 27 at Toronto, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Monday, May 1 at Toronto, TBD

Carolina [M1] vs. NY Islanders [WC1]
Game 1: at Carolina 2, NY Islanders 1
Wednesday at Carolina, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Friday at NY Islanders, 4 p.m., TBS
Sunday at NY Islanders, 10 a.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 25 at Carolina, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at NY Islanders, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Carolina, TBD

New Jersey [M2] vs. NY Rangers [M3]
Tonight at New Jersey, 4 p.m., TBS
Thursday at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m., TBS
Saturday at NY Rangers, 5 p.m., ABC, ESPN+
Monday at NY Rangers, 4 p.m., ESPN
*Thursday, April 27 at New Jersey, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at NY Rangers, TBD
*Monday, May 1 at New Jersey, TBD

*-if necessary

CLIPPERS

From Andrew Greif: The Clippers would not have won the first game of their first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night had they not won around the margins.

They grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. There were a pair of key stretches during which their bench extended the Clippers’ lead by one over five minutes to begin the second quarter and erased a seven-point lead by the Suns over the third quarter’s final three minutes.

Yet there was no avoiding that one of the biggest factors was the way one of the biggest players on the court disappeared within Phoenix’s offense.

Suns superstar Kevin Durant didn’t score in the first quarter, erupted for 17 points in the second, then was scoreless again in the third. A fourth-quarter onslaught never came. Durant’s 17-foot jumper with 6 minutes 50 seconds to play in the fourth quarter pushed Phoenix ahead 96-95. Then he took just one more shot the rest of the game and finished with 15 attempts total, third most on his team behind Devin Booker’s 19 and Deandre Ayton’s 16.

“That’s needing to get him the ball in certain spots [and] them doing a good job of denying him the ball,” Suns coach Monty Williams told reporters Monday, one day after the Clippers’ 115-110 win. “But we can create more environments for him to live freely in live-ball situations. Sometimes giving him the ball so he can bring it up the floor and create opportunities.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific

Western Conference
No. 2 Memphis vs. No. 7 Lakers
Game 1: Lakers 128, at Memphis 112
Wed. at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Lakers, 7 p.m., ESPN
Monday at Lakers, TBD
*Wed., April 26 at Memphis, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Lakers, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Memphis, TBD

No. 4 Phoenix vs. No. 5 Clippers
Game 1: Clippers 115, at Phoenix 110
Tonight at Phoenix, 7 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Clippers, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday at Clippers, 12:30 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 25 at Phoenix, TBD
*Thursday, April 27 at Clippers, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Phoenix, TBD

No. 1 Denver vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Game 1: at Denver 109, Minnesota 80
Wed. at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 25 at Denver, TBD
*Thursday, April 27 at Minnesota, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Denver, TBD

No. 3 Sacramento vs. No. 6 Golden State
Game 1: at Sacramento 126, Golden State 123
Game 2: at Sacramento 114, Golden State 106
Thursday at Golden State, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Golden State, 12:30 p.m., ABC
*Wed., April 26 at Sacramento, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Golden State, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Sacramento, TBD

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 8 Miami
Game 1: Miami 130, at Milwaukee 117
Wed. at Milwaukee, 6 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday at Miami, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Monday at Miami, TBD
*Wed., April 26 at Milwaukee, TBD
*Friday, April 28 at Miami, TBD
*Sunday, April 30 at Milwaukee, TBD

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Atlanta
Game 1: at Boston 112, Atlanta 99
Tonight at Boston, 4 p.m., NBA TV
Friday at Atlanta, 4 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Atlanta, 4 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 25 at Boston, TBD
*Thursday, April 27 at Atlanta, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Boston, TBD

No. 3 Philadelphia vs. No. 6 Brooklyn
Game 1: at Philadelphia 121, Brooklyn 101
Game 2: at Philadelphia 96, Brooklyn 84
Thursday at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Brooklyn, 10 a.m., TNT
*Monday at Philadelphia, TBD
*Thursday, April 27 at Brooklyn, TBD
*Saturday, April 29 at Philadelphia, TBD

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 New York
Game 1: New York 101, at Cleveland 97
Tonight at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Friday at New York, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday at New York, 10 a.m., ABC
*Game 5 at Cleveland, TBD
*Game 6 at New York, TBD
*Game 7 at Cleveland, TBD

*-if necessary

RAMS

From Gary Klein: He played through right elbow tendinitis, suffered a concussion and missed the final seven games of the 2022 season because of a spinal bruise.

But Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, 35, appeared raring to go Monday when the Rams began their offseason program in Thousand Oaks.

“I’m not 25,” a grinning Stafford said during a news conference, “but I definitely feel good.”

It is a stark contrast to last offseason, when the sore elbow precluded Stafford from throwing passes and limited his participation during training camp.

Once the season began, Stafford and the offense looked nothing like the group that helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI the previous season. A season-opening rout by the Buffalo Bills sent the Rams spiraling to a 5-12 finish.

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Jalen Hurts agrees to five-year, $255-million extension with Eagles

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: He doesn’t remember exactly when they talked, but Eric Kendricks said he recalled the conversation lasting an hour and a half and extending deep into the night.

Coach Brandon Staley’s commitment to building relationships with his players indeed factored into Kendricks joining the Chargers as a free agent after spending eight seasons with Minnesota.

“Honestly, that whole time period was kind of hectic for me,” Kendricks explained. “I just know that we had a great conversation — among tons of conversations that I had — but it definitely stuck with me.”

The veteran linebacker joined his new teammates for the first time Monday as the Chargers opened their offseason program in Costa Mesa, the moment also a homecoming for Kendricks, who played at UCLA.

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DODGERS

From Jack Harris: For the first time in five years, the Dodgers have a losing record beyond the opening series of a season.

And as Monday’s 8-6 loss to the New York Mets exemplified, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint just one reason.

The offense came to life early, scoring six runs in the first six innings to put the Dodgers (8-9) in front three separate times. But then they once again went silent, transforming back into a top-heavy unit incapable of producing enough clutch hits.

The pitching was even worse, with a five-run fiasco from starter Dustin May quickly being topped by a seventh-inning debacle from a sputtering, unreliable bullpen.

It’s still early, and the Dodgers are indeed short-handed. Will Smith missed his fourth straight game with a concussion, though could be back as soon as Thursday if continues to feel better. Tony Gonsolin will begin a rehab assignment this week in his recovery from a sprained ankle, lining him up for an early May return to the mound.

But for now, the Dodgers are still playing like a shell of their former selves.

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ANGELS

Hunter Renfroe hit a three-run, first-inning homer and the Angels held off the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Monday in the annual Patriots’ Day game that had Shohei Ohtani’s pitching start shortened by a long rain delay.

Renfroe drove in four runs, helping the Angels avoid a four-game series sweep.

Ohtani gave up a run in two hitless innings, walking the leadoff hitter and throwing two wild pitches before Rob Refsnyder’s run-scoring ground out.

ANGEL CITY

From Kevin Baxter: The Julie Ertz Era at Angel City was far from memorable. The club acquired the rights to the two-time World Cup champion in a December 2021 trade with the Chicago Red Stars but Ertz never so much as tried on a uniform, stepping away from the game to give birth to her first child, a boy, last August.

In the meantime, the team’s rights to Ertz expired and the midfielder became a free agent.

Now she’s back, having signed a one-year contract with Angel City, the club announced Monday. Ertz is expected to join the team in training this week and her first match could be Sunday against the San Diego Wave.

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1942 — Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-3 series win.

1946 — Jackie Robinson debuts as second baseman for the Montreal Royals.

1959 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth game.

1962 — Boston’s Bill Russell scores 30 points and grabs 40 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers and their fourth consecutive NBA title. Russell’s 40-rebound effort matches his NBA Finals record set on March 29, 1960.

1966 — Bill Russell is named the coach of the Boston Celtics to become the first African American head coach of an NBA team.

1967 — Rick Barry scores 55 points as the San Francisco Warriors beat Philadelphia, 130-124, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

1984 — Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon.

1986 — Washington ends the game on a 18-0 run in the last 3 minutes, 49 seconds and wins it on a banked Dudley Bradley 3-pointer at the horn. The 76ers had a seemingly safe 94-77 lead, but do not score in the final 3:39 in the opening game of the first-round of the NBA playoffs.

1987 — Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run with two out in the ninth to rally the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

1988 — Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya battles past Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania in the final 100 yards to win the Boston Marathon by 1 second, the closest ever.

1991 — John Stockton breaks his own NBA single-season assist record as the Utah Jazz rout the Seattle SuperSonics 130-103. Stockton’s 11 assists give him 1,136 for the season, two more than the record he set last season.

1993 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: American Tom Wargo pars second playoff hole to beat Bruce Crampton of Australia and take his first and only major title.

1995 — Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football.

1998 — NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts.

1999 — Wayne Gretzky ends his NHL career at Madison Square Garden with an assist, setting up a second-period goal as his New York Rangers fall to Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime. Before the game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces the league is retiring No. 99 in honor of “The Great One.”

2001 — A.C. Green plays in his 1,192th consecutive game, which remains the NBA record. His streak began on November 19, 1986.

2005 — Defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya becomes the first woman to win a fourth Boston Marathon and Ethiopia’s Hailu Negussie wins the men’s race to break the Kenyan stranglehold on the world’s oldest annual marathon.

2007 — Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox faces the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Texas Rangers. Buehrle walks Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth, then promptly picks him off first base.

2008 — NBA owners give approval of a potential Seattle SuperSonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors.

2017 — Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.

2017 — The NCAA awards coveted men’s basketball tournament games and other events to North Carolina, effectively ending a boycott that helped force the state to repeal parts of a law that limited protections for LGBT people. The governing body announced decisions for events through 2022, two weeks after the NCAA said it had “reluctantly” agreed to consider North Carolina again for hosting duties.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally…

Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run. Watch and listen here.