Kings hand Capitals a 5-2 loss at Capital One Arena

The Kings came in with four points on the season and left with five goals. Washington dropped a 5-2 decision at Capital One Arena, a game that slipped away in the first period and never came back.

The Capitals actually scored first. Ryan Leonard, picking up his fourth goal of the season, beat the Kings on a snap shot with help from Jonny Brodzinski and Anthony Beauvillier. It felt like something was building.

It wasn't.

Los Angeles answered quickly and kept going. Cole Hutson tied it for Washington on a snap shot of his own, assisted by Jordan Kyrou and Jakob Chychrun, giving the Capitals a brief moment of life. Then the Kings took over. Adrian Kempe scored. Then Artemi Panarin scored unassisted. By the time the first period was done, Los Angeles led 4-2 and Washington was chasing a game it had no real answer for.

Panarin was everywhere. He finished with three points, picking up assists on both Kempe goals and adding that unassisted tally of his own. Kempe scored twice on the night, both snap shots, both with Panarin's fingerprints on them.

The Capitals managed nothing in the second period. In the third, Erik Gustafsson scored unassisted to push the lead to three, and Kempe added his second shortly after, again set up by Panarin and Alex Laferriere. Scott Laughton closed it out for Los Angeles with a late goal off assists from Joel Armia and Erik Haula.

Washington finishes the night at 5-4-0. Leonard's first-period goal was the only scoring contribution in the box score for the Capitals, with Brodzinski picking up the lone Washington assist.

Five goals allowed at home to a team that came in 1-4-2.