The Los Angeles Kings hosted the Anaheim Ducks in a Saturday afternoon matinée game. The Kings were able to avenge Wednesday’s loss to the Ducks, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win in overtime, 3-2.
The Ducks were still without star forward Corey Perry, who is out with the mumps.
Kings defensemen Robyn Regehr returned to the lineup after missing two games with an undisclosed injury.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick got the start in net for the Kings, while Frederik Andersen was between the pipes for Anaheim.
The first period started off eventfully. Three minutes into the game Kings defensemen Matt Greene dropped the gloves with Ducks forward Patrick Maroon.
Just like the fight the first period was back and forth, the Ducks finished with 11 shots, and the Kings had 10.
What is becoming an all too familiar occurence, Jonathan Quick held the Kings in the game early on. The Ducks had a good scoring chance on the power-play, with Dustin Brown in the box for tripping, as the puck came across the net on a rebound opportunity Quick sprawled out in a split to make the save.
November 15, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) defends the goal against Anaheim Ducks left wing Patrick Maroon (19) during the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Another chance came a minute later when Drew Doughty attempted to make a pass back to Quick. Quick struggled to control the pass, the puck got turned over to Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano, who spun around and put a pass out to Clayton Stoner at the point. Stoner fired a wrist shot that hit the goal post and deflected out of play.
Quick made another big save in the second period with the Ducks on the rush. The puck went behind the Kings goal, Patrick Maroon picked it up and threw it to the front of the net. There was congestion in front of the goal between Kings defensemen Robyn Regehr, and Ducks forward Emerson Etem. Etem spun in a circle and tried to lift the rebound over Quick, but Quick slammed the door.
Etem quickly doubled-down on his efforts. Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf won the immediate ensuing face-off, poked the puck to the corner. Maroon got the puck and passed it out to the slot. Mike Richards blocked the pass with his stick but couldn’t control the puck. Etem chipped the loose puck, it hit Quick’s arm and deflected into the net. 1-0 Ducks.
With five minutes left in the second period the Ducks had a second chance that hit the cross-bar and went out of play. Another narrow escape by the Kings.
The Kings were a man down with just under four minutes to play in the period, and that’s when Tyler Toffoli broke loose. Defensemen Matt Greene was in the penalty box for a delay of game after shooting the puck out of play.
Robyn Regehr poke-checked the puck off the stick of Matt Beleskey. Toffoli picked the puck up along the side of the boards, Toffoli made a pass over to Jarret Stoll in the middle of the ice to get around Getzlaf at the point, and Stoll and Toffoli were off on a 2-on-1. Stoll passed the puck back to Toffoli who gained the Ducks zone, skated to the face-off dot and ripped a wrister top-shelf over Andersen, as Andersen was dropping into the butterfly position. Toffoli made it look easy.
That was Toffoli’s fourth short-handed goal of the season. Toffoli leads the league in that category. It’s become an eerily routine way of generating offensive damage in an unprecedented situation. Opposing power-plays beware.
However, the Ducks managed to steal the momentum back before heading into the locker-room. Sami Vatanen came streaking into the Kings zone along the boards. Fighting off a check Vatanen carried the puck behind the net around to the other side. At the goal line Vatanen passed the puck off to Bryan Allen at the near point. Allen made a quick pass through the slot to Ryan Kesler at the bottom of the circle on the opposite side of the ice. Kesler turned and snapped a high-shot from an awkward angle that beat Quick. 2-1 Ducks.
The Kings missed their opportunity to tie the game on their first power-play in the third period. Anze Kopitar squared the score on the Kings second.
Ducks captain Getzlaf was in the box for interfering with Quick. With 14-seconds left in the power-play the Kings had the puck set-up in the Ducks zone, in the umbrella position. Jake Muzzin, at the top of the zone, worked the puck over to Kopitar. Kopitar passed it back to Muzzin, who passed it over to Doughty on the opposite side-boards from Kopitar. Doughty took the pass, skated backwards with a little hesitation, and hit Kopitar across the ice with the puck. Kopitar one-timed a slapshot through the crowd and into the net. Tie game.
Quick had to make a few more brilliant saves in the third to hold the Kings in the game. One came on a redirected shot that hit Greene in front of the net; Quick was able to block the puck with the blade of his right skate.
23-seconds into the overtime period the Ducks Hampus Lindholm was called on a two-minute penalty for hooking Kopitar.
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With the Kings on the power-play Justin Williams came streaking in to the Ducks zone with speed. Williams warded off the defensemen with his inside arm and drove to the near goal post. Jarret Stoll was driving hard to the net down the center of the ice. Williams threw a backhand out in front of the net . . .
This time, Jarret Stoll was able to capitalize on the door step. Stoll made up for the robbery by Lehtonen on Thursday night, and tapped the puck between Andersen’s legs for the overtime win.
Quack quack quack quack Mr. Ducksworth.
Two teams. Two over time games in four days between them. Three points for the Kings.
Saturday was a big win for the Kings, giving them 22 points which ties them at third in the Pacific Division with the Calgary Flames.
L.A.’s special teams were impressive going, 2-for-3 on the power-play, and 3-for-3 on the penalty-kill with a short-handed goal. The Kings are now 8-2-1 at Staples Center this season.
Quick was vindicated, facing fewer shots than the first outing against the Ducks, but getting the win while stopping 27 of 29 shots for a .931 save percentage.
Toffoli now leads the Kings in goals: 8, points: 18, and short-handed goals: 4. Toffoli is also tied for the Kings best plus/minus with Jeff Carter at +13.
Quick was the number one star of the game. Toffoli was second, and the Ducks Kesler was third.
The Kings next game is Tuesday, November 18th, 7:30 p.m. PST against the Florida Panthers at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
November 15, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) with center Jarret Stoll (28) celebrates his goal scored against the Anaheim Ducks during the overtime period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports