KIngs break overtime record, get critical win over Maple Leafs
Los Angeles Kings players celebrating winning in overtime during an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 4th, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. LOS ANGELES -- It may have taken the Los Angeles Kings less than two minutes to save their season, in an all-important 7-6, OT win over Toronto at Crypto. Com arena, as they continue to fight for the final wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference.
They trailed the Maple Leafs 4-3 in the third period, when they erupted for three critical goals in those two minutes. In the blink of an eye, Adrian Kempe tied it up at four, with his second goal of the game and 32nd of the season. 28 seconds later, Samuel Helenius scored just his fifth of the season, on a feed from Taylor Ward.
Bing, bang, boom, less than a minute later, they continued the flurry when Alex Laferriere’s 19th of the year suddenly gave them a two-goal lead. “We said going into the third, stick with it,” said Kempe. “We’re gonna get scoring chances.
” Although as soon as they earned the lead, they gave right back, resulting in a third straight Overtime game on home ice. By doing so, the Kings broke the team record for the most Overtime games in an NHL season. In OT, Quinton Byfield scored his second goal of the game, and 20th of the year, to get the win.
Even with the victory, if there was a diagnosis tape for everything that’s gone wrong for the Kings' season, it would be their performance against Toronto in Saturday’s late matinee. Their special teams proved why they are bottom five in the league in both Penalty Kill and Power Play. “We’re gonna take the two points, and just throw the tape away, and move on to the next one,” coach D.