The LA Kings secured their place in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Monday evening at Climate Pledge Arena.
Inside the game’s first three minutes, forward Quinton Byfield opened the scoring with a smooth individual effort. In his own zone, Byfield chipped the puck off the boards to himself, creating a 2-on-1 rush the other way. Byfield delayed, kept the puck himself and snapped a shot off the back bar and in, past Seattle goaltender Nikke Kokko, for an early 1-0 advantage for the Kings.
Byfield doubled his output later in the opening period with another solo effort, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead at the first intermission. On a similar play, Byfield again chipped the puck to himself off the wall, around a defender, to create a breakaway. Byfield deked to his forehand and finessed a shot back against the grain, high on the glove side and in for his 22nd goal of the season and the two-goal advantage.
The Kings extended their lead to three goals midway through the second period, as the second line struck again. Forward Trevor Moore used a quick release from the slot to snap his shot past Kokko and in for his 14th goal of the season. Forward Alex Laferriere collected the only assist on the play, his 40th point of the season, with both players moving to +3 for the game, alongside Byfield, as well as defensemen Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson.
Seattle scored twice inside the first eight minutes of the third period, pulling to within a single goal.
First, defenseman Adam Larsson got the hosts on the board just 1:53 into the third period, as his shot from the left point got through lots of traffic in front, as well as Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg, to move the hosts within 3-1. Forward Frederick Gaudreau then made it 3-2 with a tap-in goal at the back post, which prompted a timeout from Kings Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith, as the Los Angeles lead dwindled down to one.
Los Angeles found an insurance tally midway through the third period, restoring a multi-goal advantage. Moore sprung a 2-on-1 rush in transition, led by Anze Kopitar. The captain fed forward Adrian Kempe through the slot and the Swedish winger buried his team-leading 35th goal of the season from the right-hand circle, giving the Kings a 4-2 lead.
The Kraken again pulled back within a goal late in the third period, with forward Bobby McMann getting on the board for the hosts, before forward Alex Laferriere sealed the team with an empty-net goal to bring the game to a final score of 5-3.
Hear from Moore, Byfield and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith after tonight’s win and playoff clinch.
