Tim Washe scored his first NHL goal, Ryan Strome also scored, and Lukas Dostal made 26 saves for the Ducks (23-21-3), who have won two in a row after ending a nine-game losing streak (0-8-1) with a 3-1 victory against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Joel Armia had a goal and an assist in his return after missing five games because of an upper-body injury for the Kings (19-16-12), who have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and five of six (1-2-3). Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves.
The two teams will finish a home-and-home set in Anaheim on Saturday.
The Kings scored on their first shot of the game at 1:38 of the first period. Quinton Byfield elected to keep the puck on a 3-on-1 rush and beat Dostal short side with a snap shot from the right circle to make it 1-0.
Armia pushed it to 2-0 at 11:33 of the second period, burying a one-timer from left circle off a feed cross-slot feed from Andre Lee.
Strome responded 39 seconds later to cut it to 2-1. He left a drop pass in the high slot for Jackson LaCombe, who immediately passed back to Strome for a one-timer from the top of the left circle.
Washe, who was playing in his sixth NHL game, tied it 2-2 at 14:56 of the second. Jacob Trouba's one-timer from the right point went wide of the net, but it caromed off the end boards and out the other side, where Washe was able to shoot it into the open net.
