The LA Kings remain in search of their first home victory of the season, following a 4-1 defeat against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena.
Inside the game’s first 90 seconds, New Jersey opened the scoring through forward Nico Hischier. Defenseman Luke Hughes threw a puck towards the net from the right point and Hischier got a good deflection on the way through, sending it past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper for his third tally of the season and an early 1-0 advantage for the visitors.
New Jersey also scored early in the second period to open up a multi-goal advantage. With the Kings caught in a line change, New Jersey attacked 3-on-2 off the rush in transition. Forward Luke Glendening threaded a pass through to forward Brian Halonen, who beat Kuemper from a sharp angle to make it 2-0 Devils. The goal for Halonen was his first career NHL goal, coming in his 12th career NHL game.
With just two seconds remaining on the third Kings power play of the evening, the Devils scored a shorthanded goal to take a 3-0 lead. An unsuccessful pinch to hold the zone led to a 2-on-1 rush the other way, led by forward Dawson Mercer. The Newfoundland native kept the puck himself down the left wing and picked his spot, past Kuemper on the glove side, for his seventh goal of the season and a three-goal advantage.
Just shy of the halfway mark in the third period, the Kings got on the board through forward Andrei Kuzmenko to make it a 3-1 game. Forward Alex Laferriere cycled the puck down low , down the wall, to forward Anze Kopitar below the goal line. Kopitar spun and worked the puck into the slot, where Kuzmenko buried it past Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom on the glove side for his third of the season, bringing the hosts within two goals.
With the Kings on a 6-on-4 power play, Mercer scored his second goal of the game, into the empty net, to seal the deal with a 4-1 Devils victory.
Hear from Kopitar, forward Kevin Fiala and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight's defeat.
