Recap: Quick's 29 Saves Give Kings 2-1 Win Over Ducks at Honda Center

The Ducks went toe-to-toe with the crosstown rival LA Kings for 60 minutes, but Jonathan Quick's 29 saves proved the difference for the visitors, who skated away with a 2-1 victory tonight at Honda Center.
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The loss dropped Anaheim to 30-34-14 (74 points) on the season, sixth in the Pacific Division, with four games remaining on the regular-season schedule.
Adam Henrique scored the lone goal for the Ducks, his 18th of the season. The versatile 32-year-old forward has points in three of his last four games (3-1=4).
"I don't think we were at our best," Henrique said. "It was a tight game. They played hard. They were playing for their (playoff) lives obviously. It did have that tight checking feeling, but I don't think we were connected too much of the game. It's something that we certainly need to be better at."
Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault scored for LA while Quick grabbed his 20th win.
"When I think of the Kings-Ducks rivalry, I think of Gibson and Quick," head coach Dallas Eakins said. "I thought they were both going at it. It was very reminiscent of battles of the past. I thought Quick was very good and Gibby was right there matching him."
With the win, the Kings improved to 41-27-10 (92 points) and moved five points ahead of Vegas for the Pacific Division's third automatic playoff spot.
After a scoreless, mostly low-event first period, the Kings started the scoring in the first minute of the second when Kempe swatted home a bouncing puck following a faceoff in the Ducks defensive zone.
Kempe has scored in all three games against the Ducks this season (4-1=5).
Anaheim absolutely dominated the following 19 minutes, blitzing the Kings with scoring chances and sustained offensive pressure throughout the middle frame, but could only get one past Quick for a 1-1 deadlock headed to the third.
Henrique pulled the Ducks even with a power-play goal. Moments after Anaheim had come mere inches from the tying goal before the puck was swept off the goal line, Henrique took a pass from Troy Terry at neutral ice and split the Kings defense, racing in on alone for a breakaway and beating Quick with a backhand move.

For the remainder of the period, Quick seemingly turned back the clock to his legendary 2012 and 2014 playoff performances, making point-blank stops on Josh Mahura, Simon Benoit, Sonny Milano and Trevor Zegras, with some help from the crossbar on Zegras' bid in tight.
"We were a little more connected in the second and then it shows," Henrique said. "We were able to put pressure on them and get sustained (offensive) zone time and then that leads to a few power plays. That's how we have to play for 60 minutes, not just that middle frame and bits of pieces of the rest of the game."
"The first period was (disconnected). After that, I think 30 minutes on, five-on-five, we outplayed them badly chance-wise," Eakins added. "They were able to connect when they needed to. I can't remember us having that many A chances in a game recently. Somehow Mr. Quick was able to get in the way of it or we just couldn't finish it."
Much like they did in the first minute of the second period, the Kings went ahead in the opening 60 seconds of the third, this time when a goaltender interference call was overturned by the NHL's Situation Room.
First-year King Viktor Arvidsson carried the puck into the Ducks zone, firing a shot towards Gibson and following up to the front of the net. Gibson, aggressively challenging the shooter beyond the edge of his crease, made the initial save, but as he attempted to get back in position, Arvidsson crashed into his legs, knocking him off balance. Danault then grabbed the rebound and lifted it over the sprawling netminder.
The goal was immediately waved off on the ice but was restored after a Kings challenge, giving the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Quick then picked up where he left off in the second period, denying Milano again from the low slot. That would be Anaheim's best chance at evening the score again, as the Kings secured a 2-1 road victory.
The Ducks and Kings conclude the 2021-22 Freeway Face-Off Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.