The New Jersey Devils finally flipped the script on their West Coast road trip, striking first in Los Angeles to grab an early lead against the Kings, something they’d failed to do on their previous stops. For the first time on their current road trip, the Devils didn’t have to play catch-up from the early moments of a game. Jacob Markstrom stood tall at the other end of the ice, making over 40 saves against the Kings. The veteran netminder, fresh off signing his two-year extension, was sharp from the start, turning aside a flurry of Grade-A chances and setting the foundation the team needed for a win in LA.

“Massive,” Keefe said of flipping the script and not starting from behind, early. “We talked about it the previous two games, you’re down before you even get comfortable in the game, before a lot of guys have even had their first shift, you’re down. It can’t be understated, and it’s hard to really get your finger on what sort of impact that has on the game as a whole and the mindset. We’re far better playing from in-front, everybody is, and I liked it. How we managed that situation here today.

On the back of Markstrom's saves and goals by Nico Hischier, a first NHL goal by Brian Halonen, a shorthanded and empty-net goal in the third period by Dawson Mercer, New Jersey earned a 4-1 win in Los Angeles against the Kings.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored LA's lone goal of the game.

Markstrom's 42 saves were his most in a win as a member of the New Jersey Devils.

"Everyone out there did a good job, sacrificed themselves," Markstrom said. "The penalty kill came up huge. It’s a great team win today, great team effort. They made my job easy, boxing out, blocking shots and clearing out rebounds. It was perfect out there for our D core and our forwards blocking shots.”

New Jersey's penalty kill went 4-for-4 while also contributing a shorthanded goal.

It was a refreshing change for a team that’s found itself chasing games this trip, and the result showed it, as the Devils turned a strong start into a well-earned, full-team win.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Jacob Markstrom looked every bit the elite goaltender the Devils invested in with his new two-year contract extension. He delivered a shining performance, highlighted by his quick reflexes, sensational glove saves, and flawless rebound control. Fresh off signing his new contract and playing just his second game since returning from injury, Markstrom was a pillar of poise, making him a difference-maker in the crease.

• Hischier tipped in Luke Hughes’s shot from the blue line to give the Devils an early lead, the assist to Hughes, his seventh of the season. And, more notably, the young defenseman’s 100th NHL point in just his 167th career game. Hughes inks his name into the Devils record books, becoming the fastest defenseman to 100 points, passing Brian Rafalski, who earned 100 points in 176 games.

• A shot on goal never hurts. And Brian Halonen found out the best way possible. His wrist shot, short-side on Darcy Kuemper in the opening minutes of the second period, squeaked by the netminder and just like that, Halonen has his first goal and point, of his NHL career.

Halonen’s goal gave New Jersey a 2-0 lead on the Kings.

“It’s a very proud moment,” Halonen said. “It’s something that means a lot more than not just to yourself, but to your parents, that did everything to get you here and your family, coaches along the way. There’s a lot of people that go into it. Just happy for them too.”

• Mercer's shorthanded two shorthanded goals against the Kings brings the Devils season total to four to sit atop the league standings early this season.

• There was a surreal scene at Crypto.com Arena when the crowd erupted, not just for Kuzmenko’s goal, but for something entirely different happening on the big screen. At that exact moment, the L.A. Dodgers hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Blue Jays. The timing was uncanny, and the reaction wild. A thunderous roar that far surpassed what you’d normally hear for a 3–1 goal.

Asked if he caught anyone getting distracted by the World Series playing above on the big screen, Keefe joked he did. “Me,” he said without hesitation, before adding: “I think everyone was. It got so loud, you know why it’s so loud, but it got pretty tricky there trying to call lines and guys aren’t focused, but luckily our golatender stayed dialed in through that.”

• Connor Brown missed his first game of the season with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe added that Brown is considered day-to-day.