Getting back at your ex can be quite fun, and for several former Canadiens players, they appeared to be enjoying themselves in Montreal on Tuesday night. And it was an interesting game in many other ways, as well.
By skating off with a 5-1 victory at the Bell Centre, LA has now earned points in eight straight contests thus far this season and continues a rather impress run vs. the Habs in recent years. That was their ninth straight win over the Canadiens.
Holding a 7-1-2 record when playing away from LA must sound good to coach Jim Hiller because his club still has four more away games to go before returning to Crypto.com Arena.
His club set the tone early vs. Montreal by killing off a 5-on-3 penalty. Although they faced some early offensive struggles —- including two shots that hit the post — a late turnover let Montreal’s Josh Anderson score, putting the Canadiens up 1-0 after the first period.
Los Angeles bounced back quickly in the second, though with former Habs defenseman Joel Edmundson tying the game after a key face-off win. The Kings kept up the pressure, drawing a tripping penalty and cashing in with a goal from Quinton Byfield during an extended 6-on-5 shift. Kevin Fiala then added his team-leading eighth goal, giving the Kings the lead and swinging momentum their way.
Montreal tried to rally in the third period, but the Kings defense held strong. Joel Armia, another player returning to Montreal (where he played for seven years), scored on a breakaway; Warren Foegele later sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. The Kings’ strong penalty killing and effective cycling were key to the win, showing their resilience and discipline all night.
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Additional Takeaways:
• The Kings dominated 5-on-5 play, outshooting and outscoring the Canadiens
• Byfield and Fiala delivered their most complete games of the season, both offensively and defensively
• Darcy Kuemper is now in the top 10 for NHL goalies, with a goals against average of 2.40
Pregame notes and lineups from Montreal can be found in the article linked below.
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