Hughes scores winner as Devils outlast Kings 6-4; Kopitar sets LA franchise points record

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal with 2:29 to play and Jake Allen made 27 saves as the New Jersey Devils edged the Los Angeles Kings 6-4 on Saturday night.

Hughes put the Devils ahead 5-4 in the seesaw game with a power-play goal. Nico Hischier scored twice and Cody Glass, Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier — with a last minute empty-netter — also scored.

Anze Kopitar scored twice for Los Angeles — to establish a Kings franchise points record — and Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored.

Ward had put the Kings ahead 3-2 at 11:43 of the middle period after Kopitar and Panarin scored in less than two minutes as Los Angeles battled back from an early 2-0 deficit.

But Gritsyuk tied the contest just 25 seconds into the third.

Hischier's second goal put New Jersey ahead at 12:42 of the third before Kopitar scored to tie it again.

Glass scored his career-best 15th goal at 7:56 of the first, beating Anton Forsberg with a fluttering shot. Hischier made it 2-0 at 11:04. Forsberg had 22 saves.

Kopitar scored at 4:15 of the second to narrow the deficit to 2-1.

With his second of the game, the 38-year-old Slovenian forward has 450 career goals and 858 career assists for 1,308 points, moving him ahead of Marcel Dionne. Dionne scored 550 goals with Los Angeles. Luc Robitaille leads with 557.

The Kings captain and a two-time Stanley Cup winner said he will retire after this season.

Panarin tied the contest at 2-2 at 6:03 with his third goal since he was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4.

Los Angeles is battling San Jose, Seattle and Nashville for the last Western Conference playoff berth.

Devils: Host the Boston Bruins on Monday night.

Kings: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday night to conclude five-game road trip.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) and defenseman Luke Hughes (43) defend against Los Angeles Kings right wing Jared Wright (53) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) collides with New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) playing the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New Jersey Devils right wing Timo Meier (28) plays the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) controls the puck against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) — UC Santa Barbara will join the West Coast Conference for the 2027-28 season, increasing the membership in the league to 12 teams.

The West Coast Conference Presidents’ Council approved the admission of UC Santa Barbara on Friday, following recent decisions to add Denver and UC San Diego.

Denver will begin play in the league next season with the two California schools following the following year.

WCC powerhouse Gonzaga is leaving the conference at the end of this school year to join the Pac-12 but the new additions will give the league 12 schools for the first time.

"This is a monumental moment for the West Coast Conference as we grow our membership to 12 institutions for the first time in our history and enhance our national profile with the addition of UC Santa Barbara,” WCC commissioner Stu Jackson said in a statement.

UC Santa Barbara will compete in the West Coast Conference in 13 sports, including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, baseball, softball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s golf and men’s water polo.

The WCC had three schools make the NCAA men's basketball tournament this season, with Saint Mary's and Santa Clara joining Gonzaga in March Madness. This is the seventh straight tournament that the league got multiple bids.

The conference has sent multiple women’s basketball teams to the tournament five of the past seven events.

UC Santa Barbara was previously a member of the West Coast Conference from 1965-1969.

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FILE - The UC Santa Barbara mascot performs during a timeout in the first half of an Southeast Regional second round NCAA tournament college basketball game against Florida in Tampa, Fla., March 17, 2011. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)