Kings find power play, shred Canadiens to snap skid

Though astir a period separated the 2 franchises’ archetypal Stanley Cups, the Kings and Montreal Canadiens were connected adjacent footing arsenic last-placed teams entering Saturday’s matchup astatine Staples Center.

The Kings won resoundingly 5-2 connected the spot of 3 power-play goals.

It was the Kings’ archetypal triumph and archetypal multi-goal show connected the powerfulness play since their play opener, with six losses coming successful between. Both power-play units featured reconfigured personnel, and combined to nutrient 3 goals for the archetypal clip since their lone three-goal show of past play connected Feb. 11 against San Jose.

Winger Alex Iafallo paced the Kings with 2 goals and an assist. Winger Viktor Arvidsson, rookie winger Arthur Kaliyev, and rookie guardant Rasmus Kupari besides scored goals for the Kings. Center Anze Kopitar and defenseman Matt Roy contributed 2 assists apiece. Goalie Cal Petersen made 26 saves.

Winger Josh Anderson had a extremity and acceptable up defenseman Ben Chariot’s precocious tally for the Habs. Goalie Jake Allen was touched up for 5 goals connected 38 shots.

Iafallo scored doubly successful the 3rd period, a power-play putback astatine 5:37 into the 3rd play and a close-range tally disconnected the unreserved with 5:44 to play. Chariot added a extremity with 2:20 remaining, conscionable aft a Montreal powerfulness play had expired.

Less than 2 minutes into the closing stanza, the Kings had extended their pb with a 2nd power-play goal, this clip from their 2nd unit. Roy and Iafallo moved the puck high, controlling possession and freeing Kupari for a rising changeable from the apical of the close ellipse that smacked the crossbar arsenic it entered the net. It was Kupari’s 2nd extremity successful arsenic galore games.

With 7:41 near successful the 2nd period, the Kings went up disconnected their archetypal power-play goal. A recently formed apical portion saw Arvidsson and Kopitar connected the crystal with Adrian Kempe, who was often portion of past season’s apical unit. But it was the 2 youngest players connected the crystal connecting connected the goal, with Clague dishing to Kaliyev.

The Kings returned to the powerfulness play soon after, but the accidental proved ephemeral erstwhile Kempe took a punishment of his ain 20 seconds later.

The Kings had knotted the people 4:31 into the 2nd play erstwhile defenseman Olli Maatta grabbed a giveaway to initiate transition. Kopitar generated immoderate velocity and made a wall-to-wall walk for Arvidsson, who darted successful for a lively wrist changeable to the acold side. The assistance was the 100th of Maatta’s career.

At the extremity of the archetypal period, Lias Andersson, freshly activated from IR and playing his archetypal crippled of the season, took an evident precocious instrumentality to the look but nary punishment was called. Winger Brendan Lemieux besides returned to enactment for the archetypal clip since the play opener, having precocious exited COVID protocol. Forwards Gabe Vilardi and Carl Grundstrom were steadfast scratches, portion winger Vladimir Tkachev was sent down to the minors.

With 1:38 remaining successful the archetypal period, Montreal opened the scoring with a extremity disconnected the rush. Center Christian Dvorak dashed down the near helping and sent a cross-ice saucer walk that narrowly eluded a diving Danault to find Anderson for a searing wrister to the abbreviated side.

Early successful the opening frame, the Kings honored Montreal winger Tyler Toffoli with a video tribute connected his archetypal sojourn to Staples Center since being traded to Vancouver successful 2020. Toffoli would person returned with the Canucks successful March 2020, but the pandemic suspended play 9 days earlier the crippled was scheduled. The pursuing season, helium signed with the Canadiens earlier realignment and an intra-divisional docket near Montreal to play lone against the different six Canadian franchises.