Kings score 6 in shutout of Blackhawks

LOS ANGELES -- Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves, Brandt Clarke scored twice, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

Mikey Anderson and Alex Turcotte each had a goal and an assist, and Drew Doughty had two assists for the Kings (13-8-7), who had lost six of eight games (2-3-3). Kuemper got his second shutout of the season and the 38th of his NHL career.

“Collectively, even the guys that didn’t score tonight, we all took a step tonight,” Clarke said. “We’re all happy for each other on the bench. We all want to see each other do well. And I think it was a full 20-man effort tonight that got the job done.

“Shout out to Darcy too. I think that’s the most, like, undercover effective shutout you’ll ever see, so he was phenomenal. I think top to bottom, it was a great effort.”

Spencer Knight made 26 saves for the Blackhawks (12-10-6), who won 2-1 against the Kings here on Thursday.

“I think if we score early, it could be a different game,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “If we scored on our power play (0-for-3), could be a different game. Because we were fine, and then momentum matters, and they got the momentum and we just couldn’t grab it back.”

The Kings, who scored three or more goals in two of their previous seven games, struck for three goals in the second period.

“It was an off night from the start,” Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy said. “We outplayed them the first period and a bit, and it went completely opposite. Unfortunate that we let it get to that point.”

Warren Foegele made it 1-0 at 1:55 with a one-timer from the top of the slot off a pass by Trevor Moore.

“‘Foegs’ getting that first one, it was kind of like a sigh of relief, like, ‘We got the lead here, let’s just play now,’” Clarke said.

Andrei Kuzmenko pushed it to 2-0 on the power play at 16:38. He took a pass from Kevin Fiala to the left of the crease and had his shot stopped by Knight before the puck bounced off the goalie’s arm and then his shoulder as he was falling inside the net.

It was Los Angeles’ third power-play goal in the past 12 games (3-for-37).

“Sometimes they just go in, to be honest with you,” Clarke said. “I feel like there’s been looks around the net recently that just haven’t gone in, and it’s frustrating. And then, collectively, maybe we were gripping the stick a little too tight. But tonight, we were just finding the back of the net, finding each other in the offensive zone.”

Clarke extended the lead to 3-0 at 19:06 with a wrist shot from the high slot with Corey Perry screening Knight.

“The first goal is all because of him,” Clarke said of Perry. “The goalie never even knew the puck was coming.”

Clarke then made it 4-0 at 4:46 of the third period for his first multigoal game in the NHL. He scored on the rush with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle off a pass from Adrian Kempe.

“We kind of just picked up off that big power-play goal, and it just kind of rolled from there right into the third, and we kept it going,” Clarke said. “That was also said, you know, not to take the foot off the gas and keep playing the same way, keep them playing in their zone, and that’s what happens.”

Los Angeles took a 5-0 lead when Anderson scored from the left circle at 6:18, and Turcotte made it a 6-0 final at 9:34. He drove to the net and scored on his own rebound after his initial shot was saved by Knight before the puck deflected off Turcotte in the crease.

It was Turcotte’s first career goal at home in 59 games, all with the Kings.

“It’s been forever,” Turcotte said. “Felt like forever, but, yeah, it’s definitely a relief to just have it over with, and hopefully the floodgates open and [I] put it in more consistently.”

NOTES: The six goals are a season high for the Kings. … Kuemper got his 10th career shutout with Los Angeles to tie Kelly Hrudey and Stephane Fiset for fifth in franchise history. … Blackhawks center Connor Bedard had his three-game goal and point streaks end (six points; four goals, two assists).