Power Play Pushes Kings Past Rangers 4-2 To End Skid
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tanner Pearson, Michael Amadio and Jake Muzzin each scored on the power play and the Los Angeles Kings snapped their six-game skid with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday night.
Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings while ending his personal five-game losing skid. Trevor Lewis added an empty-net goal with 17.8 seconds remaining.
David Desharnais had a power-play goal and Jimmy Vesey also scored for the Rangers, who have dropped four straight on the road. Henrik Lundqvist made 26 saves.
Trailing 2-0 after the first period, the Kings got back in it by scoring three power-play goals in the second against the fourth-best penalty kill in the league.
Los Angeles cut the deficit to 2-1 on Muzzin's goal 30 seconds into the period. Brendan Smith had been called for a roughing penalty after the first period ended, leading to a fight with an unlikely pugilist in forward Adrian Kempe and giving the Kings the man advantage to start the second.
Amadio's second career goal at 6:13 tied it before Pearson put Los Angeles ahead 3-2 at 10:22 by redirecting Alec Martinez's shot from the blue line and sending it trickling in through Lundqvist's legs.
The Kings had three power-play goals in a period for the third time this season. They also did it in their 5-0 win at Edmonton on Jan. 2, the last victory prior to their losing streak.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead 3:53 into the game with their third power-play goal in four games. What looked to be a centering pass by Desharnais deflected off defenseman Derek Forbort's skate and past Quick for his fifth goal, with Tony DeAngelo and Vinni Lettieri picking up the assists.
Vesey made it 2-0 at 7:12 to become the eighth Ranger with at least 10 goals this season. Quick was able to stop initial shots by Brady Skjei and Mats Zuccarello, but Vesey backhanded in the rebound from the edge of the crease.
NOTES: The Rangers and Knicks played their first day-night doubleheader in the same road venue since Feb. 3, 1957, when both New York teams lost at the Boston Garden. The Knicks lost to the Lakers 127-107 at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.
Kings: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night to open a four-game road trip.
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