The LA Kings improved to 3-1-0 on their current five-game roadtrip, as they skated to their most complete victory of the season, a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers.
The Kings opened the scoring just 75 seconds into the game, as forward Taylor Ward scored on his first NHL shift of the season. The Kings exited the defensive zone with possession, as forward Trevor Moore fed defenseman Drew Doughty with a cross-ice pass for a clean breakout. Doughty then hit Ward on a breakaway, which he buried on the forehand for his first goal of the year and an early 1-0 advantage.
Los Angeles doubled their lead inside the first five minutes of the game, as they converted with a delayed penalty, skating 6-on-5. With an extended sequence of possession, defenseman Brandt Clarke drove the net and connected with a centering feed from forward Joel Armia, scoring from close range, to put the visitors ahead 2-0.
New York got on the board midway through the first period, cutting the Kings’ advantage to 2-1. After Los Angeles was unable to break the puck out up the wall, the Rangers turned the play around, with forward Tye Kartye attacking down the left-hand wall. Kartye threaded a pass through the crease towards the back post, which deflected off the skate of forward J.T. Miller and in for the Rangers goal.
The visitors returned serve late in the first period, however, taking a two-goal advantage into the first intermission. After an extended shift with possession in the offensive end, defenseman Joel Edmundson fed his defensive partner, Doughty, at the center point. With forward Adrian Kempe providing the screen, Doughty fired clean past Rangers goaltender James Reimer and in for his first of the season and a 3-1 advantage.
Skating on the game’s first power play, a new-look unit capitalized for the Kings. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson and forward Artemi Panarin exchanged passes high in the zone, before Gustafsson fed Panarin in the left-hand circle. With forward Alex Laferriere providing the screen, Panarin shot high on the glove side and into the back of the net for his team-leading seventh goal of the season and a 4-1 lead.
Off a faceoff win in the offensive zone, the Kings made it 5-1, with another goal from their blueline. Forward Corey Perry stepped into the dot and won the faceoff off the boards, directly back to defenseman Mikey Anderson. Anderson shot quickly, past new Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand, for his first goal of the season, with Perry collecting his first point.
The Rangers pulled one goal back with a power-play tally of their own, sending the game into the second intermission with the Kings ahead 5-2. Attacking off the rush, forward Alexis Lafreniere dished the puck to his left to Pavel Dorofeyev along the wall. Dorofeyev then dropped the puck to defenseman Adam Fox in the slot, with the blueliner burying his first goal of the season to bring his team within three, after 40 minutes of play.
Inside four minutes to play in regulation, with the net empty for the extra attacker, Kartye made it a multi-point night to cut the New York deficit to 5-3, on an assist from former Kings blueliner Sean Durzi. However, Edmundson ended the night with an empty-net goal from distance, the fourth in the game from a Kings defenseman, sealing the 6-3 win on the road.
Hear from Anderson, Ward and Head Coach Peter Laviolette after tonight’s win.
