FINAL – Kings 5, Kraken 2 – Moore, Arvidsson, Hiller

The LA Kings returned to winning ways, moving five points clear of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday evening at Crypto.com Arena.

The Kings picked up the lone goal of the first period, a power-play goal, to take the game into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead. Skating 5-on-4, forward Viktor Arvidsson looked off a Seattle defender in front and passed the puck back to forward Adrian Kempe in the slot, where Kempe made no mistake on the finish for his 24th goal of the season. With the secondary assist, forward Kevin Fiala remained level with Kempe for the team-lead in scoring this season.

With a pair of goals from forward Trevor Moore, the Kings turned a 1-0 lead into a 3-0 lead.

First, Moore was the recipient of a threaded pass from defenseman Matt Roy, who found a seam from the right point to Moore at the back post, where he potted the goal for a two-goal advantage. Moore struck again later in the second period, as he buried his team-leading 28th goal of the season. The California native drove the net to follow his own rebound, collected the puck and deked to his backhand and in for the goal, putting the Kings ahead by three.

The Kraken scored a power-play goal of their own less than six minutes into the third period, pulling to within 3-1. Skating on an extended man advantage, following a double-minor for high sticking against Blake Lizotte, the Kraken scored just before the first penalty expired, as forward Andrei Burakovsky finished at the back post to get his team on the board.

The Kings answered back, however, restoring their three-goal advantage just over five minutes after Seattle scored. Forward Blake Lizotte made a diving poke check in the defensive zone, Superman style, to spring Fiala on a breakaway in the other direction. Fiala deked to the forehand and made no mistake, as he picked up his team-leading 68th point of the season for a 4-1 lead.

Less than a minute later, however, the Kraken responded through defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who pulled the visitors within a goal. Off an extended shift in the offensive zone, which Seattle kept alive, forward Yanni Gourde fed Dumoulin in the left-hand circle and he beat Kings netminder Cam Talbot clean with a wrister for his fifth goal of the season, pulling the visitors within 4-2.

With just over three minutes remaining in regulation, Moore competed his hat trick to bring us to the final score of 5-2. Moore took another pass from forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, working his way onto a breakaway, and he slid his shot through the five hole and in for his third goal of the evening and a hat trick in his home building. Dubois tallied his third assist of the night for his first three-point night as an LA King.

Hear from Moore, Arvidsson and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight’s victory.

Viktor Arvidsson

Arvy speaks with the media after the win🎤@LAKings I #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/rR9oB7jvma

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 4, 2024

Trevor Moore
On the importance of getting a big win tonight, coming off a tough roadtrip
Yeah, I mean, we knew this game was important for us, not our best roadtrip. It wasn’t a masterpiece tonight, but we stuck with it and got the result.

On approaching 30 goals, coming off a challenging and injury-filled season
It feels vindicating, I guess, but most importantly, it just feels good to be able to play as many games as I have so far this year, hopefully all 82. It feels good to be healthy and be able to go out there play.

On if he’s looking for the hat trick in the third period once he has the first two
No, I mean, they got to two right and then it was just about winning the game. Dubie made a great battle along the wall, against three guys, and got the puck out. It just worked out.

On building chemistry with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Viktor Arvidsson
Yeah, I think so, it’s just different styles between [Dubois] and Phil, obviously, but I mean, it’s been good, it worked tonight. I liked playing with them.

On the importance of resiliance throughout tonight’s game
We stuck with it. I think that we didn’t let a couple bad plays get away from us and we got back to our game. Like I said, it wasn’t a masterpiece by any means but I think that we played a solid 60 minutes tonight.

Jim Hiller
On getting a big win tonight, in front of the hometown crowd
That was great and I think the games have been really tight at home, we scored some goals and there was great energy in the building. We had timely goals, because they made a push, and I think Kevin’s goal really brought them out of their seats and then Mooresie had to get another one and it brought them out of their seats again. I thought the last, it’s been for a while, we’ve had some really loud, boisterous crowds and believe me, they pick the guys up.

On Trevor Moore responding tonight with a hat trick in a key moment
Really, really good. The thing for Mooresie is that we didn’t think he was shooting enough lately either. In Winnipeg, he passed up a few chances, nevermind the breakaway. Tonight, he had to think a little bit more of a shot mentality, a little more direct, great to see him rewarded like that. Works like crazy, he’s one of the guys that we’ve talked about. Usually, when the guys who are workers that don’t score as much, he’s a guy who is scoring like crazy this year, but he’s such a worker that everybody feels good about him scoring, because he got quite a work ethic and they appreciate the little things he does as well.

On the team responding tonight after a difficult end to the roadtrip
The roadtrip, the Calgary game, we deserved everything we got in that game, we did not play well. The Edmonton game I thought could have went either way, the Winnipeg game I thought could have went either way, so we didn’t put too much stock into the fact that we didn’t play great. I wouldn’t have looked at it like that. We didn’t get points we wanted, that was what bothered us for sure, but I thought that when you’re not feeling great, because we didn’t get those points, you’re a little bit worried about how you’re going to come out and play. I thought our guys were composed, they came out and believed in themselves, played hard to a man and got the result they wanted.

On how he felt the Kings forechecked in tonight’s game
I thought early, first two periods, we did a pretty good job of that. In the third period, not as well, it happens sometimes when you don’t want to sit back but human nature takes over sometimes, but that made a difference for us. We wanted to pressure. We talked about it before the game, it gives you a chance to play in the o-zone sometimes. It’s not always off the rush that you end up playing in the o-zone, a lot of times you have to put it in, forecheck, get it back and then play in the o-zone. That’s an important part of the game and we did it pretty well.

On how, if at all, his coaching style has changed during the stretch run
I don’t think so. You’d have to ask the players to be sure, but I don’t think so, personally. I think I’ve been here for quite a while, I think the players know me, they know who I am, I try to be pretty consistent. I think that’s how I want to be at least anyways, so I don’t think I’ve had to change much.

Additionally, Hiller added that forward Phillip Danault will not travel to San Jose and won’t be an option for the Kings tomorrow.

Notes –
– Trevor Moore (3-0=3) recorded the second hat-trick of his career with his team-leading 27th, 28th, and 29th goals of the season. The three-goal performance marked Moore’s fifth multi-goal effort of the campaign, tying Quinton Byfield for the most such games by a Kings skater this season.
– Adrian Kempe (1-0=1) scored his 24th goal of the season, extending his point streak to a third game (2-2=4), dating back to March 30, 2024. With the goal, Kempe has recorded 67 points (24-43=67) this season, tying his single-season career high set in the 2022-23 campaign (41-26=67).
– Pierre-Luc Dubois (0-3=3) registered his 21st, 22nd, and 23rd assists of the season for his 249th, 250th, and 251st (102-149=251) career even-strength points (EVP). In doing so, Dubois passes New Jersey’s Jasper Bratt (101-148=249) for the sixth-most EVPs among skaters selected in the 2016 NHL Draft.  His two helpers also mark his ninth multi-point game of the season and fifth at home, tying Quinton Byfield for the fourth-most multi-point games at Crypto.com Arena this season.
– Kevin Fiala (1-1=2) scored his 26th goal and recorded his 42nd assist of the season for his 19th multi-point game of the season, tying Adrian Kempe for the most such games by a Kings skater this season. Fiala’s pair of points marked his 67tghh and 68th points (26-42=68) of the campaign, taking sole possession of the team lead in scoring.
– The assist was Fiala’s team-leading 19th powerplay assist this campaign, breaking a tie with Anže Kopitar (18PPA). With his pair of points, Fiala has picked up nine points (2-7=9) over his last five games against Seattle, dating back to Nov. 29, 2022.
– Viktor Arvidsson (0-2=2) picked up his fifth and sixth assists of the season, marking his third straight home game against Seattle (1-3=4) with at least one point. Since his debut with the Kings in 2021-22, Arvidsson’s 35 power-play points (14-21=35) rank fifth on the team. Arvidsson’s pair of assists mark his second multi-point game of the campaign and 25th overall with the Kings, tying teammate Drew Doughty for the most such instances since Arvidsson joined the organization.
– Matt Roy (0-1=1) collected his 19th assist of the season, tying Jordan Spence for second-most assists among Kings blueliners. Roy also ranks second in points among Kings defensemen this season with 23 (4-19=23), breaking a tie with Vladislav Gavrikov (6-16=22). With the assist, Roy ties his single-season career high (19A, 2021-22).
– Blake Lizotte (0-1=1) tallied his seventh assist of the season for the 68th of his career, tying Bryan Erickson (68A) for the third-most assists by a Minnesota-born skater in franchise history.
– Cam Talbot stopped 21 of the Kraken’s 23 shots, improving his record to 24-18-6 with the victory.

The Kings are slated to travel to San Jose tonight, in advance of tomorrow’s game versus the Sharks. The team will not hold a morning skate tomorrow and will hit the ice tomorrow evening at SAP Center at 7 PM.

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