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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Anze Kopitar opened his 19th NHL season providing the Los Angeles Kings a familiar lift. The 37-year-old scored a natural hat-trick with three third-period goals in rallying the Kings to a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Kings captain delivered with numerous questions facing a team coming off its third straight first-round playoff exit, and with key defenseman Drew Doughty out with a broken ankle. Kopitar enjoyed his seventh career three-goal outing by tying the game 13 seconds into the third period, scoring the go-ahead goal with 1:38 left and sealing the victory with an empty-netter.
