It was deja vu all over again for the Kings on Sunday as they made it back-to-back 7-2 wins over the weekend. In a span of just over 24 hours the Kings outscored their opponents 14-4 and have moved even with the Edmonton Oilers for a tie for second in the Pacific Division standings.
While the final score was a blowout victory in favor of the Kings, the game could not have gotten off to a worse start. The Bruins capitalized on a Kings offensive zone entry turnover and quickly entered the Kings zone with numbers. As the play developed, miscommunication between the Kings defensemen and the back-checker led to a wide open Elias Lindholm in front of Darcy Kemper. Lindholm received the puck on top of the crease and deked Kuemper out of his net for the game’s first goal 19 seconds into the game. Quickly falling behind, the Kings responded almost immediately like they’ve done so many times before. Coming 2:24 after the Bruins goal, Adrian Kempe sprung captain Anze Kopitar with a pass through the neutral zone, sending the Slovenian in on a breakaway. Kopitar went forehand to backhand and slid the puck past an outstretched Jeremy Swayman for his 18th goal of the season and second goal in as many games. All knotted up at 1-1 late in the first period, Trevor Lewis, who was inserted into the lineup in place of his fellow namesake Trevor Moore, who was out with an upper body injury (day-to-day) cycled the puck down below the Bruins goal line to Phillip Danault. Danault then found Warren Foegele on the weak-side backdoor and in his 500th career game, Foegele netted his 100th career NHL goal and 20th goal of the season.
The Bruins opened the second period with another early goal 2:07 in. Coming off of another Kings defensive zone turnover, Pavel Zacha was gifted the puck just inside the blue line. Zacha then found Morgan Geekie all alone behind the Kings defensemen and beat a pokechecking Kuemper to even the game at two’s. The Kings then retook the lead midway into the game and wouldn’t give it back. Right off of an offensive zone draw win, Mikey Anderson ripped a point shot through traffic. Unable to control the rebound, Swayman directed the rebound out to a wide open Drew Doughty. Doughty attacked the loose puck with speed and strolled into the puck with a slap shot that went right past Swayman for the 3-2 lead. While dominating the puck possession throughout the night, it took almost 40 minutes for the Kings to put some distance between themselves and the Bruins. After blocking a shot to gain possession of the puck in the defensive zone, Jordan Spence sent a long pass down the ice to Kempe. Kempe was first to the puck to negate the potential icing and found linemate Andrei Kuzmenko as he rounded the Bruins net. Kuzmenko one-timed the pass and beat Swayman under the blocker for his second goal in as many games. The Kings led 4-2 after 40 minutes.
The Kings extended their lead to three goals 4:05 into the third period and it was their hottest goalscorer Quinton Byfield. Burying a goal in his seventh consecutive home game, Byfield received the puck from Kevin Fiala as he entered the offensive zone with speed, carried the speed and rifled a wrist shot over Swayman’s blocker-side shoulder for goal number 19 on the season. Five minutes later it was Tanner Jeannot tipping in a Brandt Clarke point shot to make it 6-2 and with 3:57 to go in the game Samuel Helenius buried the second goal of his career to make it a five-goal game.
It was an eventful game Kuemper despite seeing only 13 shots. Kuemper, who was assessed two penalties on the night, one for removing an opponents helmet and one for leaving his crease came within inches of fighting Swayman at center ice in the eventful second period. The two tendies would have gotten after it if it weren’t for the linesmen and referees holding them back.
The offensive explosion for the second straight game resulted in franchise history as a franchise-most 16 Kings recorded a point in the game.
