darcy kuemper

NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin had two goals, Brandt Clarke scored in overtime and the Kings won their second consecutive game, 3-2, at the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

The Kings have back-to-back victories after losing their first six games. They were the final NHL team without a win before defeating Washington on Tuesday night.

The Kings were outplayed for much of the game and were outshot 43 to 26. Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.

Kuemper cracked for the first time with just under six minutes left in the second period when rookie Victor Eklund’s shot squeezed through on a power play. Matthew Schaefer wired a wrist shot past Kuemper 7:06 into the third.

Clarke scored the winner with 2:18 left in overtime after he and his teammates possessed the puck for several shifts in a row.

Varlamov, the 38-year-old making his first home start since Nov. 25, 2024, after double partial knee replacements, denied Adrian Kempe on a penalty shot and made some big-time saves after giving up the soft goals to Panarin on the Kings’ first five shots.

Panarin has four points in two games after four combined over the first six.

Kings forward Quinton Byfield was out after getting hurt against the Capitals. Byfield did not take part in the morning skate and is considered day to day with an upper-body injury.

Up next for the Kings: at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in the dynamic first period of his four-point night, propelling the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the winless Kings on Tuesday.

Vasily Podkolzin got his sixth and seventh goals of the season, Leon Draisaitl also scored and Devon Levi made 39 saves for the Oilers, who have won five straight and scored at least three goals in every game of their 5-0-1 start.

McDavid recorded at least three points in a period for the 33rd time in his 11-year career, doing it in the first period for the 10th time. The six-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s top scorer has a whopping 16 points already this season with five multi-point games.

Brandt Clarke scored for the Kings, who dropped to 0-3-2 to begin coach Peter Laviolette’s first season despite outshooting the Oilers 40-16. The Kings are still adjusting to their new direction under Laviolette, who wants offensive aggression from a team that has played deliberate, defense-first hockey for nearly two decades.

The Kings and Philadelphia are the NHL’s only winless teams.

Evan Bouchard had two assists for the Oilers, who are off to their strong start despite playing without injured Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Edmonton opened the scoring when McDavid froze Cody Ceci and fed the puck low to the quick-wristed Draisaitl. One minute later, Podkolzin converted the rebound after McDavid blew past Mikey Anderson and blistered a shot off Darcy Kuemper.

After the Kings had pinned Edmonton in its own end for nearly two full shifts late in the first period, McDavid came off the bench, accepted Ty Emberson’s pass at the blue line in stride and scored his fourth goal.

Kuemper was replaced by Anton Forsberg to start the second.

Clarke scored late in the second period on a long shot through traffic. The goal was Clarke’s first since the Kings’ young defensive cornerstone signed a five-year, $37-million deal last June.

McDavid and Draisaitl assisted on Podkolzin’s empty-net goal.