The LA Kings skated to their third consecutive victory, as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings by a 3-1 final on Tuesday evening at Little Caesars Arena.
Neither team found the back of the net in the first period, despite a 9-5 advantage for the Kings in shots on goal. The Kings played a direct period but were not able to beat Detroit goaltender John Gibson on a pair of power plays in the opening 20 minutes.
Exactly at the game’s halfway mark, 30 minutes in, the Kings got the goal they deserved with their fourth line cashing in once again. Forwards Jeff Malott and Taylor Ward put in the work below the goal line to win the puck back, before Malott fed forward Samuel Helenius in the slot for the goal, his second of the season. Helenius’ goal marked the third straight game that line has scored, putting the Kings ahead 1-0.
On their first power-play look of the third period, the Kings doubled their advantage as forward Andrei Kuzmenko capped off a nice passing play with a goal from the low slot. Forward Kevin Fiala set up on the right side of the umbrella and fed forward Adrian Kempe down low. Kempe used a one-touch pass to Kuzmenko in the bumper position and he finished with a quick shot for his 11th goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.
Detroit snapped Anton Forsberg’s shutout bid with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, scoring 6-on-5 to pull back within a goal. After a scramble drill, the Kings held on for a bit but defenseman Moritz Seider fed the puck through the slot to forward Alex DeBrincat at the back post, where he buried from close range to get the Red Wings on the board, cutting the Kings lead to 2-1.
Inside 90 seconds left in the game, forward Corey Perry iced the game with an empty-net goal from distance, sealing the victory with a 3-1 final score.
Hear from Helenius, forward Warren Foegele and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight’s game.
