LOS ANGELES - Kings captain Anze Kopitar snapped a 13-game goal drought in regulation and scored again in the shootout, leading Los Angeles back from a two-goal deficit in the third period for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

Kopitar and Tanner Pearson scored early in the third to tie it for the Kings, who opened a seven-game homestand with a key win for their playoff hopes.

Jonathan Quick stopped 29 shots and denied all three Maple Leafs players in the shootout, propelling Los Angeles to its first shootout victory in four tries since Oct. 22.

Tyler Bozak and Nikita Zaitsev scored early goals for the Maple Leafs, losers of four straight. Toronto also fell to 1-8 in shootouts this season.

Jarome Iginla played nearly 16 minutes in his debut with the Kings, who acquired the 39-year-old veteran from Colorado at the trade deadline on Wednesday. Wearing a black No. 88 jersey, Iginla got a warm reception from the sellout crowd at Staples Center.

Frederik Andersen made 33 saves in his first trip back to Southern California since the Anaheim Ducks traded him to Toronto in the offseason.

The Kings opened a seven-game homestand that could determine whether they miss the postseason for the second time in three seasons since winning their second Stanley Cup title in 2014. Los Angeles began the night one point behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Bozak put the Maple Leafs ahead early in the first period, capitalizing on a fortunate rebound for his 15th goal. He has five 15-goal seasons during his eight-year career in Toronto.

Zaitsev then scored on a long shot through traffic in the second period after Brian Boyle won a faceoff. The Russian defenseman might have received a fortunate deflection to beat Quick, who appeared to be badly screened.

After 93 minutes of play without a goal, the Kings' scoring struggles ended when Kopitar's shot hit Zaitsev in the helmet and bounced past Andersen during a power play. Almost incredibly, Kopitar didn't score a goal in February.

Pearson tied it 90 seconds later with his 22nd goal, nimbly keeping the puck away from Andersen's poke-check and sliding it under the Danish goalie.

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BOSTON - Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves on his 35th birthday and the New York Rangers got third period goals from Pavel Buchnevich and Oscar Lindberg to beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night.

New York, which has beaten Boston five straight times, outscored the Bruins 12-5 while sweeping the three-game season series.

Lundqvist stymied the Bruins on several outstanding chances and improved to 25-12-2 against Boston with a 1.93 goals-against average. He earned his 403rd NHL win, tying Grant Fuhr for 10th on the career list.

Brad Marchand scored his team-leading 29th goal for the Bruins to cut it to 2-1 at 12:56 of the third. David Backes just about extinguished any final hopes for Boston when he was whistled for goaltender interference with 2:22 remaining.

Buchnevich, called up from the minors earlier in the day, wristed a shot over goalie Tuukka Rask's left shoulder to put the Rangers ahead. Lindberg scored 4:25 later to make it 2-0 at 9:35 of the third.

Marchand tipped in a pass from David Pastrnak.

Rask made 19 saves for Boston, which lost for the second time in nine games.

NOTES: New York has won 11 of 13 on the road and leads the NHL with 22 road wins. ... The Rangers are 1 for 33 on the power play over the last 12 games. ... New York swept the season series from Boston for the first time since 2006-07. ... Marchand has 24 points over the last 15 games. ... Rangers forward Derek Stepan hasn't scored in 19 games. . Boston was held under two goals for the first time in 14 games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Bruins: Host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

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MONTREAL - P.K. Subban made a big splash in the flashy defenseman's return to face the Montreal Canadiens.

The Nashville Predators star received a medal from the governor general of Canada for his charity work and then met the media Wednesday at a packed news conference at Bell Centre.

''It's a privilege to play in the NHL and it's a privilege to be a player who is traded out of Montreal and still have this type of support,'' Subban said. ''Talk to a lot of guys who have been traded, I don't think they would be standing up here doing a press conference when they come back. So, I'm very honored and happy to know that, in the Mecca of hockey, fans still support me and are behind me.''

How much they remain on Subban's side will be seen Thursday night when Subban plays his first game against the team he played for from 2009 to last June 29, when he was dealt to Nashville for Shea Weber in a straight-up trade of All-Star defensemen.

Canadiens who are traded away are often booed on their return, but it might be different for Subban.

''I don't think it's fair to try to anticipate how you're going to feel,'' Subban said. ''You wait for the moment and take it in.

''My focus will be on the two points, but obviously I look forward to playing in a building and in front of fans that I played in for so long. Some big games and some fun games. Probably the thing I look forward to most is hopefully seeing Madame Beliveau there."

Subban is a favorite of Elise Beliveau, the widow of Canadiens great Jean Beliveau.

The trade was a stunning move by general manager Marc Bergevin, who was looking to change up a team that collapsed after goalie Carey Price was injured early in the 2015-16 season.

Subban was already a fan favorite for his skill and flair on the ice and his bubbly personality, but his popularity went through the roof in September 2015 when he made a pledge to raise $10 million over seven years for the Montreal Children's Hospital, mainly for a program called P.K.'s Helping Hand to support families of sick kids.

It was believed to be the biggest charitable commitment ever made by a Canadian athlete and it was the reason Gov. Gen. David Johnston was in the hospital's packed P.K. Subban Atrium to pin the Meritorious Service Cross on the player's chest. Subban's parents and two sisters, as well as many friends and fans, were on hand to share the moment.

''It was pretty spectacular,'' Subban said. ''It was the highest honor I've ever had in my life, so it's pretty special.''

This from a member of Canada's 2014 Olympic gold medal team and the 2013 winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. He also was the Canadiens' highest-paid player, having been given an eight-year, $72-million deal ahead of the 2014-15 season.

Subban took the high road on all the controversy surrounding the trade. He had kind words for former coach Michel Therrien, who some felt stifled his free-wheeling style with an overly defensive system of play and benched him when risky moves went awry.

But he also had praise for Predators coach Peter Laviolette, who told Subban in their first phone call to be himself on and off the ice.

''When you're in the top two defense pairings and you're one of the highest-paid players you always feel you should get some sort of leash to do the things that make you the player that you are,'' he said. ''Ultimately, you have to play within a system, but there's a reason I made it to the NHL.

''There's a certain thing that I bring to the game that allows me to be the player I am, so you can't lose that. That's the thing about a good coach. You have 22 guys and you have to understand that there's 22 different people and you have to allow them to excel within their skill set. I think Lavvy has a really positive attitude.''

The trade is still hotly debated among Montreal fans, some who feel the team will regret losing the younger, quicker Subban and others glad to get the bigger and well-respected Weber.

Subban missed the first meeting with Montreal on Jan. 3 in Nashville with an upper-body injury. Weber scored a goal before his former home fans in the Canadiens' 2-1 win, which was mainly marked by the booing of former Predator Alexander Radulov on his return.

So far, the 31-year-old Weber holds a slight edge with 14 goals, 37 points and a plus-9 rating in 64 games for Montreal, while 27-year-old Subban has eight goals, 30 points, and is minus-6 in 47 games as a Predator. But Subban only got his game going after returning from his injury in late January. He has 12 points in the last 10 games.

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NEW YORK - Marcus Johansson had two goals and an assist to help Washington beat the New York Rangers 4-1 on Tuesday night in Kevin Shattenkirk's first game with the Capitals.

Brett Connolly and Nicklas Backstrom also scored and Braden Holtby stopped 29 shots as the NHL-best Capitals gave Barry Trotz his 700th career victory. Evgeny Kuznetzov and Matt Niskanen had two assists each.

Shattenkirk, acquired from St. Louis on Monday night, had four shots on goal in 17:57 of ice time.

Brady Skjei scored in the first period and Henrik Lundqvist finished with 34 saves as the Rangers lost for the second time in three days on home ice after going 5-0-1 in their previous six at Madison Square Garden.

After stepping up their play in the latter stages of the first period, the Capitals were in control in the second as they scored twice and outshot the Rangers 18-9.

Johansson tied it at 1 on a rush about 7 1/2 minutes into the middle period when he knocked in the rebound of a shot by Dmitry Orlov for his 20th.

Michael Grabner appeared to give the Rangers the lead with less than eight minutes remaining as the puck deflected up off Kuznetsov's leg and Holtby's helmet and dropped on the goal line before the Rangers forward knocked it in. However, Trotz challenged for offside on the Rangers entering the zone, and the goal was waved off after a lengthy video review.

Washington took the lead later when Lars Eller sent a pass that went off Niskanen's stick to Connolly, who put it in for his 13th with 3:34 to go in the period.

Johansson made it 3-1 at 1:15 of the third, deflecting a shot by Kuznetsov over Lundqvist's right shoulder for his 21st.

Backstrom scored a power-play goal that deflected up off Skjei's stick and over Lundqvist and in for his 19th with 2:03 left. John Carlson got his 200th career assist on the play.

The Rangers controlled the pace for much of the opening period, outshooting the Capitals 11-5 over the first 16 1/2 minutes before Washington had the final three shots of the first.

Washington's Tom Wilson hit Derek Stepan into the boards about 5 1/2 minutes in and the Rangers' center slowly skated to the bench.

Skjei put the Rangers up 1-0 when he tipped a pass from Adam Clendening past Holtby for his third at 5:08 of the first period. It gave the rookie 30 points for the season, including his two goals and 13 points in the last 18 games.

Skjei also hit a post with a slap shot with about seven minutes left in the first, and Jimmy Vesey's backhander in close was denied by Holtby less than 10 seconds later.

NOTES: Trotz is sixth on the NHL coaching wins list. ... Washington's Karl Alzner played in his 571st regular season game, breaking a tie with Ken Klee for ninth on the franchise list for defensemen. ... The Capitals improved to 7-8-3 when giving up the first goal and 32-1-1 when leading after two periods. ... The Rangers won the first two meetings with the Capitals, 4-2 at Washington on Oct. 22 and 2-1 at home Feb. 19. The teams conclude the season series at Washington on April 5. ... The Rangers acquired D Brendan Smith from Detroit for two draft picks and swapped minor league players with Buffalo. ... New York, without D Kevin Klein (back spasms) for the fourth straight game, announced D Dan Girardi will miss 10-14 days due to an ankle injury. D Steven Kampfer was recalled from Hartford of the AHL and rookie F Pavel Buchnevich was assigned to the Wolf Pack. ... The Rangers are now 25-9-1 when scoring first.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Former Buffalo Sabres player Andrew Peters won't face charges following an on-ice brawl involving the youth hockey team he coaches.

The Erie County district attorney's office and Buffalo police began looking into the Saturday fight after video appeared to show Peters reaching across the Buffalo Junior Sabres' bench and shoving to the ice a player from the Hamilton, Ontario, team.

District Attorney John Flynn said Tuesday the parents of the teenage player don't want to pursue criminal charges against Peters, so his office won't take legal action.

The 36-year-old Peters was suspended from coaching Buffalo's 15-and-under team. Neither the Buffalo Junior Sabres nor Peters has responded to requests for comment.

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SUNRISE, Fla. - Kyle Turris scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period and Craig Anderson stopped 37 shots to lift the Ottawa Senators over the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Sunday night.

Zack Smith had an early short-handed goal for the Senators, who have won four of six.

Jonathan Marchessault scored for Florida, and James Reimer made 31 saves. The Panthers have lost three straight after sweeping a five-game road trip, and dropped their last four home games overall.

Turris put Ottawa ahead when his wrist shot went over Reimer's glove at 9:58 of the second for his 21st goal of the season.

The Senators took a 1-0 lead on a short-handed goal by Smith. Reimer blocked a shot from Erik Karlsson, but Smith grabbed the rebound and poked in the puck at 6:28 of the first. Smith has 12 career short-handed goals.

Marchessault tied it on his power-play goal with 2:47 left in the first. He took a feed from Jonathan Huberdeau in the left circle and put the puck high into the net.

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Patrice Bergeron had two goals and an assist as the Boston Bruins beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 Sunday, improving to 6-1 under interim coach Bruce Cassidy.

The Bruins completed a 3-1 road trip.

Stars captain Jamie Benn and Boston forward David Backes began fighting just 2 seconds into the game and drew major penalties. They have a history between - this was the first time they've faced each other this season, and it was the third straight year they've fought.

The Stars had tied the game in the second period after trailing 2-0. But Frank Vatrano and Bergeron scored on deflections 40 seconds apart in the second, and Bergeron added his 16th goal of the season in the third period.

Brad Marchand, David Krejci scored in the first period for the Bruins. Marchand had two assists and Torey Krug had three assists.

John Klingberg and Jiri Hudler had second-period goals for Dallas, and Tyler Seguin scored in the third.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had 33 saves.

Kari Lehtonen made 22 saves for Dallas. Three of Boston's goals came on deflections.

Vatrano deflected Kevan Miller's drive from the right point through traffic past Lehtonen to break a 2-2 tie in the second. Bergeron and Dallas defenseman Jordie Benn became tangled in front of Lehtonen on the Bruins' fourth goal.

Marchand scored from the left faceoff circle at 5:56 of the first period after taking a pass from behind the net from Bergeron.

Dallas made it 2-all on the first power play of the game. Hudler scored on a snap shot at 11:49 of the second.

Boston regained a two-goal lead less than 4 minutes later when Vatrano and Bergeron scored at 14:41 and 15:21.

NOTES: Dallas D Johnny Oduya returned after missing 15 games because of an ankle injury. . Miller and Dallas LW Curtis McKenzie also fought in the second period. . Marchand has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games. . Krejci has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his past seven games. . Krug has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in seven career games against the Stars. . Hudler has 18 points (11 goals, seven assists) in 14 career games vs. Boston. . The visiting team has won the last seven games between the teams, dating back to 2013-14.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Begin a three-game homestand on Tuesday against Arizona.

Stars: Play the fourth of five straight home games vs. Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

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PITTSBURGH - Sidney Crosby scored his NHL-leading 34th goal, Matt Murray made 35 saves, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 at blustery Heinz Field on Saturday night.

Matt Cullen, Nick Bonino, and Chad Ruhwedel also scored for Pittsburgh, which thrilled the capacity crowd at the home of the NFL's Steelers by capitalizing on some shaky goaltending by Michal Neuvirth. Jake Guentzel picked up two assists, and the Penguins drew within five points of Metropolitan Division-leading Washington.

Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere scored for Philadelphia, but Neuvirth stopped just 25 of 29 shots as the Flyers dropped to 0-3 in outdoor games. Even worse, Philadelphia failed to pick up any ground as it tries to stay within shouting distance of one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference.

Despite a downright tropical week that saw temperatures soar into the mid-70s by Friday afternoon - more suitable for some pickup street hockey than a sheet of ice in the middle of an NFL stadium - Mother Nature dished out a pretty timely assist to league organizers hours before the puck dropped. A cold front arrived late Saturday afternoon, and by the time Crosby and Claude Giroux stood across from one another for the opening faceoff, it was a seasonable 36 degrees with a hint of snow.

The lone complication didn't come from warmth but the wind. Gusts at ice level became so disruptive the NHL decided to have the teams switch sides midway through the third period in an effort to even out the amount of time the teams shot in each direction, something that's never a factor indoors.

While appreciative of the chance to play on such a unique stage - particularly one framed by a replica of one of the famous ''Three Sister'' bridges that span the adjacent Allegheny River - the teams stressed the need to focus on the stakes and not the festival-like atmosphere.

Still, it also gave Crosby a chance to revisit - and maybe finally put to bed - the most difficult moment of his career. The two-time MVP was at the peak of his powers and the league's leading scorer heading into the 2011 Winter Classic when a hit to the head by Washington's Dave Steckel changed the arc of Crosby's career. He spent the better part of two calendar years recovering, though he hardly wanted to talk about it in his return to Heinz Field, saying he simply hoped for a better ending this time around.

It was, thanks in no small part to Crosby's brilliance. Pittsburgh's captain helped the Penguins shake off a slow start by working himself free at the right circle and taking a slick feed from Guentzel and firing it into the open net 11:18 into the first to give Pittsburgh the lead. Bonino doubled the advantage 6:44 into the second when he drilled a slap shot by Neuvirth on the power play.

The Flyers drew within one just past the midway point when Voracek muscled his way from the corner to the front of the net and slipped it by Murray.

No matter. Cullen picked up his 10th of the season when he stuffed his own rebound by Neuvirth 1:50 into the third, and while Gostisbehere's slap shot from the point 6:48 into the third gave Philadelphia life, Ruhwedel's shot from the point threaded its way through a sea of bodies to give the Penguins all the breathing room they'd need.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bryan Bickell had an assist in his first hockey game since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Playing for the Carolina Hurricanes' AHL affiliate in Charlotte, Bickell logged about 10 minutes of ice time while playing on the fourth line in the Checkers' 6-1 victory over Cleveland on Saturday night.

Bickell had the primary assist on Kris Newbury's goal that made it 5-0 just 2:51 into the second period.

He called it ''a rough one to jump back in and play at a high pace.''

Bickell, 30, won three Stanley Cups with Chicago before coming to Carolina in the offseason. He had been out since October, was diagnosed with MS in November and began practicing last month with the Hurricanes, who formally assigned him to Charlotte on Friday.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Filip Forsberg scored the winning goal and had two assists as the Nashville Predators scored three in the second period in beating the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Saturday.

Forsberg missed becoming the first in NHL history with a hat trick in three consecutive games. He still notched his seventh goal in three games as Nashville won its second straight and third in four games.

Roman Josi scored twice, and Mike Fisher and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal. Ryan Johansen had three assists.

The Predators denied their former coach Barry Trotz his 700th career win in the building where he started his career as an NHL coach back in 1998.

Tom Wilson and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals. They beat Edmonton 2-1 in Washington on Friday night and were without T.J. Oshie and defensemen Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen.

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