LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings lit up the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 on Thursday night after a big offensive performance from wingers Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Kings would strike first early on a powerplay opportunity. After a good series of passes, Kuzmenko handled in the corner and made a crafty play to force the defender to bite toward him before feeding center Quinton Byfield in front of the net for a one-timed goal to make the score 1-0 less than 90 seconds into the game. Marking his 21st of the season, this is Byfield’s new career high in goals during a season.
Despite scoring early in the frame, this was the only action from either team during the first period.
To start the second, though, the Ducks would tie the game at one thanks to winger Cutter Gauthier. After a faceoff win, Anaheim pushed down the ice on a three-on-two where center Leo Carlsson fed Gathier on the right circle for a one-timer to even up the score.
Only 30 seconds later, Kings captain center Anze Kopitar scored to give Los Angeles the lead — and what would be the game-winning goal. A good forecheck from the Kings allowed them to get the puck back in their offensive zone, where defenseman Mikey Anderson took a shot from the blue line, which was redirected by Kopitar and trickled into the cage to make the score 2-1. This was Kopitar's 20th goal of the season -- the third time in a row he has hit that mark and the 14th time in his career.
Los Angeles would pile on to the score just over three minutes later when Fiala scored his first of two goals on the powerplay. About a minute into the five-on-four advantage, L.A. looked to have put Anaheim on their heels and scrambling defensively. Fiala would take the puck and feed winger Adrian Kempe, who one-touched a pass right back to the Swiss, who took a slapshot five-hole on Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal to make the score 3-1.
At the end of the second period, winger Alex Laferriere would score once more for the Kings to push the lead to three. After a shot was blocked from the point, Laferriere picked up the loose puck and initially whiffed on a shot, but as he was falling, he got a second chance and put it in the back of the net to make the score 4-1.
Fiala would score his second goal of the night on the powerplay only a minute into the third period. With time slowly dwindling on the powerplay, Kuzmenko launched a pass over to Fiala on the far circle for a one-timer, which easily beat a diving Dostal. This was Kuzmenko’s third assist of the game and his 10th point in the last six games.
Defenseman Jordan Spence would put in the final goal for the Kings, who was playing on the first defensive pair with Vladislav Gavrikov, as Drew Doughty did not play during the game. Halfway through the third period, Spence received a pass from center Phillip Danault and took a missile of a shot that whizzed past Dostal on the glove side.
Dostal finished the game with 23 saves on 29 shots, while Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper continued to stand strong with 24 saves on 25 shots. This moves his total games with two or less goals given up in his past 15 starts, making him just the second goaltender to do so since the expansion era in 1967-68.
Los Angeles has a massive matchup against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at 1 p.m.