Toffoli scores late in 2nd as Kings beat Avalanche 2-1

The Kings totaled 40 shots on goal. Center Carl Soderberg connected on a nifty pass in front of the Los Angeles net with Duchene, who smoked a shot past Quick for his first goal of the season to knot the score at 1 with 4:03 left in the second. Unfortunately, an errant pass by Erik Johnson would give Tyler Toffoli a breakaway and give the Kings their game winning goal just 23 seconds later. The line of Milan Lucic-Jeff Carter-Toffoli combined for 11 shots on goal.

“They played really well and had a few really good chances”, Colorado coach Patrick Roy said of the Kings.

Their success rate is 4.8%, putting them ahead of a mere two teams, Pittsburgh and Anaheim.

The Avalanche played strong defensive hockey in the game’s first period, but when the Avalanche did falter with a series of bad defensive slides, Marian Gaborik and the Kings were able to capitalize.

Center Anze Kopitar lost just six of 24 faceoffs and third-line center Nick Shore won seven of 10 faceoffs. “But at the same time, we have to play a whole game”.

“When there is that many penalties we got to be good”, McNabb said.

“Luckily my knee brace blocked it for me a little bit”, Muzzin said. “We’re winning games right now, but we know we have a few work to do (and) still could get a lot better”.

Toffoli, who had 23 goals last season, now has an even-strength goal, a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in five games this season. Dustin Brown eventually found Gaborik free between the circles, beating Berra to the stick side with a wrist shot. In 46 games against Colorado, Gaborik has scored 22 goals and recorded 16 assists, tops for the Kings. “We’re playing a lot faster in our own zone, using our speed breaking out and coming through the neutral zone, and finishing our plays”. Offensive-zone penalties continue to be a preventable problem for the Kings. Both Jack Skille and Cody McLeod would drop the gloves with Kings forwards, but McLeod and his dance partner Andreoff would be ejected for fighting after the officials broke up the first fight. They were called for three against the Avalanche in the first two periods, and lost the lead because of one. Barrie will be eligible to return for the October. 27 road game against Florida…. The Avalanche scratched D Brandon Gormley and C Borna Rendulic, while D Matt Greene and C Jordan Weal were unavailable for the Kings….