Toffoli Leads Streaking Kings To Fourth Straight Victory
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jonathan Quick made 40 saves in his 38th career shutout and Tyler Toffoli scored twice in the Los Angeles Kings' fourth consecutive victory, 3-0 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Anze Kopitar also scored and Milan Lucic had two assists. The Kings have followed an ugly 0-3-0 start by allowing just three goals during four gritty victories.
Toffoli scored a goal in his career-best fourth consecutive game, getting a power-play score in the first period and a clincher on a pretty 2-on-1 rush with Lucic in the final minutes. He has six goals this season, while the rest of the Kings have seven combined.
Cam Ward stopped 25 shots in a duel between Stanley Cup champion goalies and Conn Smythe Trophy winners.
The Hurricanes haven't won in Los Angeles since Dec. 8, 2005, and they dropped to 2-2-0 on the fourth stop of a seven-game transcontinental trip.
Quick was back in dominant form after a poor start to the season that mirrored the Kings' woes. The winningest goalie in franchise history has rebounded from his 0-3-0 start with two straight 2-1 victories and this shutout, his first since March 16.
Toffoli added to his impressive start early on, ripping a shot through traffic for his fifth goal of the young season. It also was the Kings' third goal on the power play in two games after a 1 for 21 start to the season with the man advantage.
Brock McGinn hit Quick's post on a close-up shot late in the period, and the Hurricanes generated more scoring chances while putting 28 shots on net in the first two periods.
After a scoreless second period, Kopitar increased the lead during 4-on-4 play when Carolina defenseman Ron Hainsey accidentally hand-cleared the puck directly to the Kings' star center in the slot. Kopitar, Los Angeles' leading scorer in eight consecutive seasons, has two points in the first six games.
Carolina forward Andrej Nestrasil limped to the dressing room in the second period and didn't return after taking a slap shot from Christian Ehrhoff on the inside of his leg.
NOTES: Before the game, the Kings put D Matt Greene on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 13. He has missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. ... Carolina's trip continues Saturday in San Jose. ... After opening the season with six of seven at home, the Kings are headed out on a two-game road trip to Canada.
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