Against the New York Rangers from the East on Tuesday (Jan. 20), head coach Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings (20-16-13) picked up two valuable points in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division in a resilient and gritty 4-3 regulation win on home ice at Crypto Arena. The Kings ended a four-game losing streak in the West vs. the Rangers yesterday on home ice, including three straight losses in extra time in overtime or the shootout in the Pacific Division this past week.
Anton Forsberg helps to deliver a clutch win for the Los Angeles Kings vs. the New York Rangers on Tuesday night in the goal
The offensive burst in the first period in the opening frame for Hiller and the Kings was started early in the game on the scoreboard vs. the Rangers and Jonathan Quick in goal with a nice goal from forward Adrian Kempe to put the team up by a score of 1-0.
Kempe and forward Kevin Fiala played a big role in tilting the momentum on the ice and the advantage on the scoreboard early in the opening frame in the first period yesterday vs. New York in the game's first 15 minutes. The Kings looked good on the ice and in the faceoff circle yesterday in the opening frame in the first period.
The Rangers pushed back with a couple of goals in the first period yesterday in the opening frame to tie the game up on the scoreboard.
There was a big shake-up in the game yesterday late in the opening frame in the first period when starting goalie Darcy Kuemper for the Kings suffered an injury and had to leave the game. Anton Forsberg came in and helped the Kings find consistency and an anchor in the crease in the defensive zone vs. New York late in the opening frame.
The Kings extended the lead on the scoreboard to two goals in the middle frame in the second period yesterday. Taylor Ward scored the season's first goal yesterday to give the Kings a 3-2 lead on the scoreboard. Then, Andrei Kuzmenko doubled the Kings lead in the middle frame with a nice goal on the back hand to beat Quick.
Forsberg held down the fort and secured the win by one goal on the scoreboard for the Kings yesterday. He only allowed one goal yesterday in the game's final 40 minutes in the second and third periods vs. New York in between the pipes.
Here are two studs and one dud from the Kings' durable 4-3 regulation win over the Rangers on home ice at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night (Jan. 20).
Stud: Kevin Fiala, W
As soon as it looked on the ice like the Rangers were taking momentum back on the ice and on the scoreboard, Fiala put the Kings ahead on the scoreboard by a score of 2-1 in the opening frame yesterday. He helped to restore the Kings' lead on the scoreboard while scoring the team-leading 18th goal this regular season for the team.
Fiala scored the goal yesterday in the opening frame in the first period on a nice play where he took advantage of a Rangers turnover around the neutral or defensive zone to score on New York and Quick in the goal to give the Kings the one-goal lead on the scoreboard.
Fiala also registered an assist on the eventual game-winning goal that Kuzmenko scored in the middle frame yesterday vs. New York in the second period in the zone.
He's scored a couple of goals in this past four games for the Kings in the West in the last week or so for the team.