Jonathan Quick made 33 saves for Los Angeles, which notched its second win of a seven-game road trip that ends Monday in Chicago and Tuesday in Winnipeg. The Kings tied Anaheim for fourth place in the Pacific Division, just a point behind Calgary and Minnesota for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
Los Angeles came out of the gate flying, outshooting the Sabres 19-8 in the first period. Goalie Robin Lehner kept Buffalo in contention with 18 stops in the period, but Amadio beat him at 11:26 for his third goal. He took a pass from Andy Andreoff and shoveled a wrister from the right circle that trickled through Lehner's pads.
Kopitar and Amadio blew the game open with three goals in a 5:33 span of the second period. Kopitar made it 2-0 at 12:02 with his 24th tally of the season. Dustin Brown took the puck away near the blue line and fed Kopitar on a 2-on-1, and he deked Lehner out of the crease before sliding a backhand into the net.
It became 3-0 at 16:08. Andy Iafallo set up Kopitar from behind the net after Brown dumped the puck in, and Kopitar flicked a wrister from the left circle that made its way through Lehner's pads.
Amadio capped the outburst at 17:35, wiring a wrister from the slot after maneuvering around a defender to get into the slot. That was the end of Lehner's day, as he was replaced by Chad Johnson after allowing four goals on 30 shots.
Marco Scandella enabled Buffalo to avoid a shutout with his second goal 30 seconds into the third period. The defenseman collected a loose puck just inside the blue line and boomed a slapper past Quick.
Rasmus Ristolainen made the final score a bit more respectable with an unassisted goal, his fifth of the season, at 16:42.
-- Field Level Media
Los Angeles | Buffalo | |
Michael Amadio 2 | Points | Rasmus Ristolainen 1 |
Michael Amadio 2 | Goals | Rasmus Ristolainen 1 |
Dustin Brown 2 | Assists | Rasmus Ristolainen 0 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Jonathan Quick .943 | Save Percentage | Chad Johnson 1.000 |
Jonathan Quick 33 | Saves | Robin Lehner 26 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Los Angeles | 36 | 4 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 6 | 28 |
Buffalo | 35 | 2 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 6 | 27 |