Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) poke-checks the puck during the second period of Thursday’s game against the Kings in Buffalo. AP photo

BUFFALO — Anze Kopitar scored a natural hat trick in the third period to rally the Los Angeles Kings to a season-opening 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 32 shots in an outing where the Kings overcame a 1-0 deficit. Kopitar tied the game at 1-1 by scoring 13 seconds into the third period. He scored the go-ahead goal on a power play with 1:38 left and then capped the scoring with an empty-netter.

Alex Tuch converted his own rebound on a shorthanded breakaway with 3:05 left in the second period, and Buffalo dropped to 0-3 after opening the season with two losses to New Jersey in Prague last weekend.

≤ Takeaways

Kings: Missing key defenseman Drew Doughty to a broken ankle can’t explain Los Angeles’ lack of offense in a game they were being outshot 28-10 through two periods and 33-22 overall. Credit Kuemper, acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, in an outing where he stopped Ryan McLeod on a penalty shot 12:53 in, and seconds earlier made a diving stop to prevent McLeod from scoring on a wrap-around attempt.

Sabres: Scoring remains an issue for a team that managed one goal in each of its two season-opening losses to New Jersey. Buffalo’s power play is now 0-of-10 after failing on all five chances against the Kings, including a two-man advantage spanning 69 seconds in the first period.

¯ Key moment

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin muffing the puck at the end boards, allowing Alex Laferriere to set up Kopitar’s first goal.

¯ Key stat

26: Number of points Kopitar has in 18 season-opening games to make him the NHL’s leading active skater, and two points ahead of Alex Ovechkin, who opens the season with the Capitals on Saturday.

Up next

¯ The Kings, on the road since Oct. 1 with preseason games at Quebec City, continue a seven-game season-opening road trip at Boston on Saturday, while the Sabres host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday.

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