FINAL – Kings 2, Rangers 1 – Byfield, Rittich, McLellan

The LA Kings got back in the win column at home, with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings controlled shots on goal by a 12-2 margin in the opening period and got rewarded with the game’s first goal, coming with less than a minute to play in the first. After forward Phillip Danault forced a turnover on the forecheck, forward Trevor Moore found linemate Kevin Fiala in front, with the Swiss winger outwaiting Rangers netminder Jonathan Quick for the the game-opening goal, his 11th of the season.

Inside six minutes to play in the second period, New York evened the score through forward Chris Kreider, who buried his 21st goal of the season. Off an icing that saw the Kings’ fourth line trapped on the ice, the Rangers capitalized, as defenseman Adam Fox fed an incisive pass through the slot to Kreider, who scored at the back post to knot the game at one,

With less than two minutes to play in the middle stanza, the Kings pulled back ahead via forward Quinton Byfield. Forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan drove the net aggressively down the right wing and saw his backhanded shot stopped by Quick, but the puck floated into the crease then the slot, before Byfield drove the net and buried the rebound, his 13th goal of the season.

Hear from Byfield, Rittich and Head Coach Todd McLellan following tonight’s game.

Quinton Byfield
On getting back in the win column at home
That’s a big one for us. That’s a good team over there, a playoff team, it was good. We took the lead and we held onto it and at the end of the game, in the final minutes, Kopi, Lewie, Ritter, big saves and big blocks. We all showed up tonight. There’s a lot of passion and we played good hockey.

On if it was just like riding a bike moving back to center
I think in the first I maybe had a tricycle, had to take off the training wheels, but I think I found my footing back down the middle. I played there my whole life. As the game went on, I felt more comfortable. The big thing for me was getting back into draws, I started off pretty good and then lost a couple, but I think all went pretty good tonight.

On the play of his linemate, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, tonight
Jaddy comes in each day and puts everything he has in. Playing with him is pretty simple, you know he’s going to get to pucks, make good plays, he’s a skilled player too. He can do a lot out there. On the goal tonight, I just went in and cleaned it up but that was all Jaddy. Reading the play, making a good move to the net, that was all him there and I got rewarded for it.

On the importance of the win, both with Jonathan Quick in the other net and with the team’s recent slump
I love Quickie. He, not stole one, but he played really well against us at Madison Square Garden, so we kind of owed him one and he played, again, amazing tonight. It was a big one just to get back in the win column, especially against a good team like the Rangers. There’s a lot for us in this game and it’s a big W for us.

David Rittich
On his toe save in the final minutes to preserve the 2-1 lead
We know that Kreider is one of the best screen guys in the league and he did a great job there. It was a shot from the point and they had two guys up front. I just battled. That’s kind of their game, put it on the net and then it’s game on. I just tried to battle, not let that one go in and it was an important time to make that save.

On playing behind and being a part of this strong of a PK unit
I mean, it’s awesome. Since I got here, I think they changed the penalty kill during the summer and as you can see, it works. I think everybody knows what we’re doing and that makes it easier for everybody.

On getting a consistent run of games now with the Kings
It has been great. The group of guys that we have here, it’s awesome, and that makes it easier for everybody, especially for a guy that’s been called up. I’m just trying my best. It’s just one game at a time.

On feeling prepared here off his time in Ontario
Big time. I appreciate everything that the guys in Ontario did for me, starting with the players, coaches, staff, it was awesome. I got into my rhythm, I got into tempo, I feel good every time I go into the net. The past two years, I didn’t play much, and I almost beat my games played from the last two years with the games in Ontario.

Todd McLellan

Notes –
– Kevin Fiala (1-0=1) scored his 11th goal of the season for the 158th of his career. With his goal, Fiala ties Winnipeg’s Nino Niederreiter (157) for the second most goals among Swiss-born skaters since the 2016-17 season.
– Fiala’s goal marked his 39th point (11-28=39) of the season, tying teammates Adrian Kempe (15-24=39) and Anze Kopitar (14-25=39) for the team lead in scoring. Fiala has now scored a goal in each of his last three home games against the Rangers (4-2=6), dating back to March 8, 2022.
– Quinton Byfield (1-0=1) scored his 13th goal of the season, tied for the third-most in the league among skaters selected in the 2020 NHL Draft, trailing only Seth Jarvis (15), JJ Peterka (14), Cole Perfetti (14) and Jake Neighbours (14). Byfield’s goal stood as the game-winner, his third GWG of the season, tied for the most GWG’s this season among skaters selected in the 2020 NHL Draft.
– Trevor Moore (0-1=1) picked up his 12th assist of the season. With his helper tonight, Moore (34A) breaks a tie with Alex Iafallo (33A) to take sole possession of the fifth-most assists among Kings skaters at home since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
– The assist marked Moore’s fifth career point (1-4=5) against the Rangers as a member of the Kings, breaking a tie with Matt Nieto (1-3=4; with SJS) for the most assists and points scored by a California-born player against the Rangers for a California-based team.

The Kings have a scheduled team off day tomorrow and will return to the ice for morning skate on Monday, January 22 at 10:30 AM at Toyota Sports Performance Center, before that evening’s game against San Jose.

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