Kempe scores shootout winner, lifts Kings over Senators

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Adrian Kempe scored the shootout winner as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Tuesday.

Alec Martinez and Kempe scored for the Kings (7-1-1) in regulation and as Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots.

Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson supplied the offence for the Senators (4-1-4). Mike Condon made 41 saves.

Condon nearly coughed up the winner with less than a minute remaining in overtime as he went to play Anze Kopitar, but Erik Karlsson was able to make a goal line save.

Trailing 2-1 with 1:46 remaining in the third period, the Kings tied the game as Kempe jumped on a Condon giveaway behind the net for an easy goal to force overtime.

Thompson had given the Senators a 2-1 lead, scoring shorthanded six minutes into the third. Thompson carried the puck deep into L.A. territory before dishing it off to Tom Pyatt and then jammed home a loose puck for the Senators' first short-handed goal of the season.

The second period was a series of missed opportunities for both teams.

Los Angeles outshot the Senators 14-11 and missed a couple of open nets. The most glaring was in the dying seconds of the period as Martinez shot a puck just wide from in close.

Pyatt had four shots for the Senators and a couple great scoring chances, but just couldn't beat Kuemper.

The Kings opened the scoring just 24 seconds into the first period as Martinez fired a shot from inside the blue line that beat Condon through traffic.

The Senators tied the game at the six-minute mark as Phaneuf fired a shot that beat Kuemper short side.

Notes: The Senators recalled Max McCormick from AHL Belleville, but he was a healthy scratch as D Mark Borowiecki returned after missing two games. The Senators opted for seven defencemen and 11 forwards. Ottawa RW Bobby Ryan missed his first game since suffering a broken finger. Los Angeles' D Christian Folin and RW Justin Auger were healthy scratches for the Kings.