Kopitar scores 4 goals as Kings rout Avs

Anze Kopitar scored four goals and the Los Angeles Kings unleashed on what had been a stingy Colorado Avalanche defense, winning 7-1 on Thursday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Kopitar, recorded his fourth career hat trick, netting his third with 7:33 remaining in the second period and his fourth goal came unassisted at 3:28 into the final period.

His 33 goals on the season moved him to within one of matching his career high from 2009-10.

Even with the road game, there dozens of hats were thrown toward the ice following Kopitar's third goal. He finished with seven of the team's 35 shots on goal.

Tobias Rieder scored twice and Jake Muzzin had a goal for the Kings. Nate Thompson and Dustin Brown both provided two assists.

It was an offensive outburst for Los Angeles, which was 1-1-1 in its previous three games with a total of four goals in regulation during that stretch.

The Kings have alternated wins and losses across 11 games in March.

Colorado had yielded more than one goal only once over its past five games, but the Kings found plenty of openings across the first 33 minutes.

After he gave up two goals on five shots in the second period, Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was replaced by Jonathan Bernier with the score at 5-1.

Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avalanche, which had won five of their previous six games.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.

Both teams scored in the first five minutes.

Rantanen gave the Avalanche a brief lead 3:33 into the game before Kopitar tied it 55 seconds later. Muzzin gave the Kings the lead for good 7:54 into the game.

Kopitar had just one point, an assist, in a December meeting with Colorado, which the Kings won 2-1 in overtime. The teams meet again next month during the last week of the regular season.

--Field Level Media