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Lupul lifts Maple Leafs past Kings in SO

Dec 15, 2014 - 5:41 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Joffrey Lupul notched the lone goal of the shootout to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.

Lupul skated up the middle, dipped his shoulder and wristed a shot over the glove of Jonathan Quick to lead off the shootout. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles' final shooter, tried to go up high, but James Reimer got a piece of the shot with his glove to seal the win.

Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson each finished with a goal and an assist and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Maple Leafs, who won their fifth straight game.

Reimer made 33 saves and stopped all three Kings in the shootout.

"Hopefully this builds confidence in our group," Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "We need to remain level headed."

Justin Williams had a goal and an assist, Marian Gaborik and Dwight King each lit the lamp and Alec Martinez supplied two helpers for the Kings, who have lost four of their last five games.

Quick stopped 28 shots in defeat.

Los Angeles went ahead 1:02 into the third period after Williams slipped a quick pass through the crease and Gaborik was there to guide it into the net for a 3-2 edge.

After Kings forward Trevor Lewis went off for high-sticking, Phil Kessel received a pass at the right circle and dished the puck to van Riemsdyk, who tapped it past Quick in close for the equalizer at 8:49.

Toronto's Nazem Kadri raced into the offensive zone on a breakaway, but fanned on the shot with over five minutes remaining. Kadri, however, did draw a hooking penalty on Jake Muzzin.

The Maple Leafs were swarming on the man advantage, but Quick stood tall and the game went to overtime.

Toronto started the scoring with six minutes remaining in the first. Daniel Winnik sent a pass through his legs behind the net to Santorelli, who cruised around the cage and beat Quick with a wrister.

Franson's blast from the right point made it a 2-0 game with 29.2 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

"We didn't get off to a good start, and that's why we lost," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said.

The Kings cut the deficit in half at 16:02 of the second after Williams battled a defender for a bouncing puck in the offensive zone and backhanded a shot past Reimer for a 2-1 game.

King made his way towards the crease and tapped the puck into the net for a tied game with 13.3 seconds left in the middle frame.

Game Notes

Toronto is 9-1-1 over its past 11 games ... The Maple Leafs are 12-0-0 when van Riemsdyk scores this season ... Los Angeles won its first regulation game in Toronto since Jan. 29, 2000.