Kings score 4 goals in 3rd period to beat Ducks 4-1

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere, Kevin Fiala and Mikey Anderson all scored in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Sunday.

Vladislav Gavrikov had two assists and David Rittich made 15 saves for Los Angeles.

Ryan Strome scored for Anaheim with 1:46 remaining to bring the Ducks within a goal, but Fiala and Anderson followed with empty-netters 31 seconds apart to put the game away.

Lukas Dostal finished with 34 saves for Anaheim.

The Kings broke a scoreless tie at 3:06 of the third period when Kempe beat his defender to Anze Kopitar’s picturesque pass off the boards and slid the puck in between Dostal’s legs.

Just over five minutes later, Laferriere intercepted a cross-ice pass from Ducks defenseman Jackson Lacombe in front of the Anaheim net and fired a quick wrist shot under Dostal’s blocker.

Takeaways

Kings: Los Angeles clamped down after a relatively even first period and controlled the game. The Kings outshot the Ducks 33-10 over the final two periods and dominated in every facet, never allowing Anaheim any semblance of offensive rhythm.

Ducks: Anaheim had its worst offensive game of the young season. The Ducks scored 11 goals in their first four games and never had fewer than 20 shots on goal. Their offense disappeared for all but the final minutes against the Kings.

Key moment

The Ducks tried to mount a comeback after Strome’s goal cut their deficit to 2-1, but Fiala put the game away with a backhander into the empty net with 1:07 remaining.

Key stat

The Kings have won 10 of their last 11 games against the Ducks dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.

Up next

The Kings wrap up a seven-game road trip in Vegas on Tuesday, while the Ducks host the San Jose Sharks.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL