The Kings got back into the win column on Sunday night by defeating the San Jose Sharks 8-1 at Crypto.com Arena. With the win over the Sharks, the Kings closed out their season series with the NorCal club going 2-2-0. Snapping a brief two-game skid, the Kings win propels themselves back ahead of the Edmonton Oilers by two points with nine games remaining in the regular season for each team.
It was a penalty heavy game between the two rivals leading to power play opportunities galore for both sides throughout the game. An early Sharks penalty put the Kings on the power play 3:29 into the game and while the game’s first goal didn’t go down as one on the man advantage, it was the second power play unit that found the back of the net just six seconds after the Sharks penalty expired. Teaming up for the goal was Trevor Moore finding Quinton Byfield, who fed Phillip Danault on the weak-side for a one-timer. Danault beat an outstretched Georgi Romanov on the glove side and the Kings led 1-0 5:35 into the game. Still leading 1-0 midway into the opening period, the Kings committed a pair of penalties in the span of 19 second putting the Sharks on an abbreviated 5-on-3 for 1:41. The Sharks struck iron and had a handful of good looks, but could not find the back of the net. Five minutes after a failed 5-on-3 attempt by the Sharks the Kings earned another power play opportunity and cashed in. Doubling the Kings lead was Adrian Kempe, who notched his third 30-goal campaign of his career when he banged in a pass from Anze Kopitar in the slot. Kopitar’s helper was his 40th of the season while Drew Doughty picked up his 10th assist of the season. The Kings led 2-0 after 20 minutes.
The Kings further extended their lead in the second period, but not before the Sharks cut the lead to one goal. Coming after the Kings failed to convert on power play from a Cam Lund minor, Lund left the penalty box, joined the Sharks on the rush and netted his second career goal with a rebound putback 4:52 into the middle frame. Following Lund’s goal, it was all Kings the rest of the game. Scoring a total of six unanswered goals, the Kings first four came in the last 15:08 of the second period. With the lead down to one, Kopitar quickly helped the Kings respond by setting up Moore in the slot with a behind the back between the legs pass. Moore instantly ripped a shot a five hole for his 16th goal of the season re-establishing the two-goal lead. The Kings then extended their lead to 4-1 with their second power-play goal of the game with 6:29 remaining in the period. After receiving the puck on blue line, Brandt Clarke walked the line and fired a wrist shot towards the Sharks net. Standing just outside of the crease was Warren Foegele, who redirected the Clarke shot and watched it deflect into the net for his 21st goal of the season. Foegele’s tally also gave him a new career high in goals in year seven of his NHL career. Not done just yet, Foegele added goal number 22 with 58 seconds remaining in the period when he deflected in another point shot, this one coming from Vladislav Gavrikov. Now up 5-1, the Kings netted their second goal in the final minute of play of the second period. In what was the prettiest sequence of the night, Andrei Kuzmenko entered the offensive zone and found his fellow countryman Gavrikov with a spinning behind the back pass. Gavrikov, who received the puck in the slot one-touched the Kuzmenko pass behind his own back and set up Kempe for his second goal of the night via one-timer. The Kings led 6-1 after 40 minutes.
The third period saw a pair more of goals from the Kings and they came 33 seconds apart. First making it 7-1 with 5:11 to go in the game was Kuzmenko, who entered the offensive zone with speed and the puck on his stick. Netting his third goal with the Kings, Kuzmenko pulled, dragged and beat Romanov on the blocker side. With a Kings crowd still applauding the their seventh goal, Jacob Moverare found Trevor Lewis in space in the offensive zone and the veteran found the back of the net through traffic for the Kings eighth and find goal of the night.
The offensive explosion saw 14 Kings skaters record a point while David Rittich stopped 22 of 23 shots for his 15th win of the season.
