Caps blow a 2-0 lead, fall 5-2 to the Kings

Early two-goal lead, late first-period collapse

Capital One Arena saw the start Washington wanted and the ending it did not. The Capitals led the Kings 2-0 in the first period Tuesday, then watched Los Angeles score five unanswered in a 5-2 loss that snapped a modest two-game winning run.

Ryan Leonard opened at 9:25 of the first. Cole Hutson doubled it on the power play at 18:35. The period still had 34 seconds left. Adrian Kempe cut it to 2-1 with 32.7 remaining. Artemi Panarin tied it with 1.2 on the clock. Spencer Carbery’s postgame read was blunt: odd-man rush, then a failed wall play — mistakes that late cannot happen.

Ex-Cap Darcy Kuemper stopped 30 for his first win of the season. Ex-Cap Erik Gustafsson broke the 2-2 tie with a power-play walkabout at 7:28 of the third. Kempe added another; Scott Laughton emptied the net for 5-2. Washington sits 5-4-0 after nine games and 4-2 on home ice.

Next on the homestand: Buffalo on Saturday, 7 p.m. at Cap One. Confirm TV and scratches on the club board.

The Capitals page is the hub.

*Evening desk, Wednesday Oct 21, 2026. Recap from Capitals.com / AP.*

Sources

1. Capitals — Kings Overcome Caps, 5-2

2. AP — Kempe, Kings beat Capitals 5-2