The Kings and Ducks faced off again Saturday in an intense rivalry game at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings had been struggling, losing six of their last seven games after the NHL’s three-day break and managing only 11 goals during that stretch. They ranked near the bottom of the Western Conference in December. The Ducks weren’t performing much better, winning just two of their last seven games and losing their hold on the Pacific Division lead. However, the NHL rules required a winner on Saturday, and the Kings took full advantage, scoring four goals in the first period. Alex Laferrière starred with his first career hat trick, leading the Kings to a decisive 6-1 victory, though the scoreline didn’t fully reflect the game’s dominance.
Early in the game, Drew Doughty put the Kings on the board just three minutes after the opening faceoff, redirecting a pass from Quinton Byfield past Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, with an assist from former Duck Corey Perry. Quickly following that, Trevor Moore extended the lead to two with a redirect from Brian Dumoulin’s pass. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville attempted to steady his team with a 30-second timeout, but it didn’t help. Laferrière then made it 3-0 with a sharp one-timer off Dostal less than 10 minutes into the first. In the final minute of the period, Byfield scored on a power play, giving the Kings their first four-point game of the season and their best offensive performance in weeks.
The Kings, who were booed off the ice after a recent loss to Seattle, returned to cheers during the first intermission. The Ducks finally found some momentum mid-second period when Mason McTavish scored on a power play, but despite outshooting the Kings 12-1 in that frame, they only managed one goal. Laferrière continued his hot streak early in the third period with a breakaway goal, marking his third career multi-goal game and first of the season, while Dumoulin and Anze Kopitar each contributed a goal and an assist. Laferrière capped off his performance by scoring his 10th goal of the season with a powerful one-timer midway through the final period. The Kings’ six goals matched their season high and nearly equaled the total they had scored in their previous four games combined.
This story was originally published in the Los Angeles Times, and fans can stay updated on LA sports with The Sports Report newsletter.
Fan Take: This dominant win by the Kings shows that even teams struggling mid-season can turn things around quickly, which keeps the NHL exciting for fans. Laferrière’s breakout performance is a promising sign for the future of the league and could be a highlight for Kings supporters as the season progresses.
