The LA Kings dropped their first game of the preseason as they fell 5-3 to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday afternoon at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, CA.
Just over three minutes into the game, Los Angeles got the scoring started as newly-signed defenseman Cody Ceci found the back of the back of the net for the first time in a Kings jersey. After taking a feed from defenseman Jacob Moverare, Ceci wound and fired from the right-hand circle, beating Anaheim goaltender Petr Mrazek off the post and in to get his team on the board early in the game.
Midway through the opening period, Anaheim pushed back to tie the game at one. With the Ducks skating on the power play, forward Ryan Poehling collected the puck in the slot and had his shot saved by Kings netminder Erik Portillo but defenseman Pavel Mintyukov activated from the left point and buried the rebound, equalizing the score at a goal apiece.
The Kings pulled back ahead shortly before the end of the first period to give the Kings a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. Forward Liam Greentree curled into the right-hand circle and showed strong composure to find forward Taylor Ward through a maze of bodies in front, with Ward burying his third goal of the season at the back post.
Anaheim scored the only goal of the second period to tie the game through 40 minutes of play. Stationed at the right point, defenseman Ian Moore sent a shot towards the net that was deflected in front by Ducks forward Nathan Gaucher, through the legs of Portillo, to send the game into the second intermission with a 2-2 scoreline.
14 seconds was all the time the Kings needed in the third period to re-gain the lead. Anaheim turned the puck over in their own zone and the puck fell directly to forward Trevor Moore in the slot, uncontested. Moore took one stickhandle onto his forehand and picked his spot past Mrazek for his first goal of the preseason and 3-2 advantage.
With just over six minutes to play in regulation, Anaheim pulled even once again as defenseman Tyson Hinds scored his second goal of the preseason. Rotating high in the zone, forward Yegor Sidorov was the facilitator, as he sent a shot on net through traffic, which was stopped by Portillo, but the rebound fell to Hinds crashing the net from the left point, which he buried for the game-tying goal.
Inside the final minute of regulation, Ducks forward Matthew Phillips scored the game-winning goal. With Anaheim skating on the power play, Phillips slowly worked his way towards the net and was in a good position to capitalize on an Owen Zellweger rebound, putting the Ducks ahead for the first time in the game late in the third period.
With just eight seconds remaining, forward Nico Myatovic iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Hear from Moore, Portillo and Head Coach Jim Hiller following today's game.
