Tuesday night in Downtown LA, coach Jim Hiller and the Kings delighted their fans with a memorable first home win of the season, defeating the visiting Winnipeg Jets in a game filled with personal and team milestones.
Both sides played tight defense early, until Gabe Vilardi appeared to break the 0-0 deadlock — only to have his goal waved off for goaltender interference. Still scoreless in the final minutes of the opening period, Adrian Kempe finally put the Kings ahead by finishing a sharp pass from Joel Armia, who set him up beautifully from behind the net. The goal was a special one for Kempe, as well, marking the 200th of his NHL career and giving his club a crucial early lead.
Intensity from the Kings and Jets ramped up noticeably in the second period, with each squad trading chances and pushing the pace, especially during shorthanded situations. Both goaltenders stood tall, making key saves to keep the game close through 40 minutes. Then, in the third period, the Kings power play — which had struggled most of the night — finally clicked when Kevin Fiala fired a pinpoint shot from the high slot, doubling LA’s lead.
In the final minutes of regulation, with the Jets goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Drew Doughty sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. By stopping all 23 of the Jets’ shots on goal, Kuemper earned his fourth victory, and first shutout, of the year.
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Additional game notes:
— This contest featured a heavyweight battle in net, with two of the three goaltenders nominated for last season’s Vezina Trophy, LA’s Darcy Kuemper and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.
— Defenseman Drew Doughty recorded his 161st career goal, breaking a tie with Rob Blake for the most by a blueliner in franchise history.
— Forward Joel Armia played in his 600th career regular season NHL contest, becoming the 33rd player of Finnish nationality to reach this mark.
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
Follow @mayorsmanor
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
Continue reading...