LOS ANGELES — Coming off of a disappointing 1-3 road trip, the Kings bounced back Wednesday night to post a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken at Crytpo.com Arena behind Trevor Moore’s hat trick.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak and eliminated the Kraken from playoffs contention.
Goalie Cam Talbot did a great job defending the net throughout the opening period, facing only three shots. Meanwhile, the lone score in the period came from Adrian Kempe, who gave the Kings a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The second period would see more of the same as Moore delivered a pair of goals 7:39 and 11:49 into the period to give the Kings a 3-0 cushion. The Kraken opened the third with their first goal courtesy of Andre Burakovsky, keeping them within striking distance.
Fortunately for the Kings, Kevin Fiala had the answer with his 26th on the season to push the lead back to 4-1. Less than a minute later, Brian Dumoulin struck again for the Kraken, making and made it 4-2.
It was Moore who score the decisive goal and secured a hat trick with.
Here are three takeaways:
Talbot saves 21, gets back in win column
Following the theme of the Kings’ recent losing streak, Talbot had dropped a couple of games in a row. He got the start in a big game against the Kraken as his team needed him to lock in and lead them to victory with his defense. Talbot was able to deliver a important performance for Los Angeles as he held the Kraken scoreless through the first two periods and saved 21 of 23 shots.
He improved his record to 24-18-6 with his first victory since March 25. Talbot’s efforts helped the Kings secure the season series, 2-1, and eliminated the Kraken from a playoffs berth. He has secured 24 or more wins just twice since the 2018-2019 season and already has seven more victories than his previous season with the Senators.
The 11-year veteran will be a key piece throughout the Kings’ playoff run. Thanks to his performance Wednesday, Los Angeles is now within a point of the first wild card spot, which is held by Nashville.
Moore delivers second hat trick
More, the Thousand Oaks native and Kings scoring leader Trevor Moore, had a signature performance. He had his second-ever hat trick and lifted Los Angeles to a crucial victory. Moore first struck in the second period as he extended the Kings’ lead to 2-0. About four minutes later, he struck again with a rebound goal off of his own shot.
With Los Angeles leading 4-2 late in the third period, he delievered the third goal and sealed a victory.
The three goals broke a team-leading tie with Anze Kopitar, who scored No. 26 two days earlier. Moore has 12 goals more than his previous career-high. It was a special night for Moore as he carried the load on offense and gave the home fans a miraculous performance to remember.
Dubois drops 3 assists on the Kraken
While he didn’t score a goal, Pierre-Luc Dubois got it done in the assist department. The 25-year-old assisted on all three scores from Moore as the duo worked together seamlessly.
Dubois has 251 career even-strength points, passing Jasper Bratt of the New Jersey Devils for the sixth-most even-strength points among skaters chosen in the 2016 draft. He also recorded his ninth multi-point game of the season and fitth at home.
Up next for the Kings at 7:30 p.m. Thursday are the San Jose Sharks, who have the fewest points in the NHL. Of their final seven opponents, one is in playoff position (Vancouver Canucks).
Los Angeles holds a five-point edge over the St. Louis Blues for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.
