Kings blow 3-goal lead but Clarke scores late to beat Sharks 4-3

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Brandt Clarke scored the tiebreaking goal from the right circle with 6:40 left and the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Tuesday night after blowing a three-goal lead.

Corey Perry got his third goal in four games for the Kings. Jeff Malott and Drew Doughty also scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 37 saves.

It was the Kings’ second consecutive victory in regulation after going to overtime in their previous four games.

Will Smith, Philipp Kurashev and Alexander Wennberg each had a goal for the Sharks, the only NHL team without a win in regulation. During a 57-second span in the first period, San Jose missed four clean looks.

Things got dicey for Los Angeles near the end. The Kings played the final 76 seconds short-handed after Joel Edmundson was whistled for delay of game after flipping the puck over the glass into the crowd.

San Jose took six shots during that stretch but failed to score.

Perry scored on a putback midway through the first after Adrian Kempe’s shot deflected off Collin Graf’s stick, hit the right post and landed in front of the net.

Malott got his second goal of the season on a breakaway, assisted by Perry and Edmundson.

Three minutes later, Doughty made it 3-0 with his first goal of the season on a shot from the right circle.

The Sharks broke through late in the second with two goals in less than two minutes. Smith scored off a cross-ice pass from Macklin Celebrini, then Kurashev slapped in a wraparound pass from Wennberg.

Less than five minutes into the third, Wennberg tied it at 3.

Up next

Kings: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

Sharks: Face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl