FINAL – Kings 4, Canucks 0 – Byfield, Anderson, Smith

The LA Kings finished their roadtrip with four of a possible six points, as they capped it off with a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening at Rogers Arena.

After a relatively even first period, the Kings scored a late power-play goal to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. With the second unit on the ice, Los Angeles used a simple formula to pull in front. Forward Quinton Byfield got his shot off from the right-hand circle, with forward Scott Laughton getting a deflection on the way through for his 11th goal of the season and the one-goal advantage through 20 minutes.

Just 81 seconds into the second period, the Kings were able to quickly double their lead. Forward Alex Laferriere worked the puck to defenseman Mikey Anderson at the left point and Anderson’s shot was deflected on the way through, with forward Trevor Moore working it over the goal line at the back post as the visitors doubled their advantage. With the assist, Laferriere extended his point streak to three games, with seven points over his last six games in total.

Inside the final minute of the middle stanza, the visitors added a second insurance goal to open up a 3-0 advantage through 40 minutes of play. Forward Adrian Kempe forced a turnover in the neutral zone to spring linemate Artemi Panarin on a 2-on-1 rush. Panarin kept the puck himself and beat Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen with a backhanded shot from close range, as Los Angeles took a three-goal lead into the second intermission.

Byfield ended the game in the final minutes with an empty-net goal, the only goal in the third as he made it three consecutive multi-point games on this trip to secure a 4-0 victory.

Hear from Byfield, Anderson and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith following tonight’s victory.

Quinton Byfield

Mikey Anderson
On the relief of securing a multi-goal win on the road
Darce made some good saves in the first [and then we] found a way to score a few and then we had some runs there in the second where it was a lot of sustained pressure, which goes one of two ways. We were able to get a few goals and kind of build the lead, Makes it a little less stressful coming down the wire.

On a very strong second period tonight
It starts up front with the forwards. They’re coming inm forechecking, they’re hard on pucks, they keep plays alive and then getting it back to us, it’s trying to get it to the net. If they’re getting under, it helps with retrievals, getting body position, so I thought they did a great job. D are trying to get it there and just try and roll them over.

On a more active approach for the defensemen under D.J. Smith
It’s nice, you don’t have to back out as much. Obviously, there’s time and place for it, but if he wants us to do it, which is good, forwards are going to be more willing to cover. I think we’ve been a little more structured with how we want to play offensively, getting guys to the net, D knowing that they’re there for us to shoot it and then obviously being able to recover pucks and keep the o-zone time.

On heading home one point out to begin a seven-game homestand
We haven’t been great at home, but it’s a good chance for us. We’ve been feeling good about our game, so now you get to go home get a chance to get, not comfortable, but you get to be at home, you don’t have to travel, get a little time in the sun and you get to get to play some hockey. It’s a great time for us to build momentum at hom and play ourselves in and try and get hot coming down the stretch.

D.J. Smith
On finally getting a win that didn’t come down to the wire
Big goal by Bread there at the end of the second, gives you a little bit of leeway. I stil thought we could’ve come a little harder to start the third, but that second period, second half of the first and the second period, is the way we have to play. You play off the forecheck, you try and give them no room and we had a lot of good looks.

On a late first-period goal carrying into a strong second period
We haven’t had a ton of bounces, to be honest andit’s a great screen, gets a touch on it and it goes in. So, hopefully that’s a sign of things to come, I guess, that we’re going to get some bounces.

On getting depth scoring from Scott Laughton, with the game-winning goal
I mean, they check and they work and they create momentum for us and they kill penalties, and they do all those things, but it’s great when those guys can contribute. Ultimately, when your best players are your best players, you usually win. When you look at Bread’s stat line at the end of the night and Q and Mooresie and these guys, when there’s one and one or a one, you usually win. That’s what we need here down the stretch.

On a shutout for goaltender Darcy Kuemper and an early save to keep the game 0-0
Huge save by him, two big ones in the first to end their momentum. That’s what changes momentum in this league. If you give that up, then you’re trailing and you’re a little more stressed. He made everything he had to make. He was great in Calgary, bad bounce went in and he’s good again tonight. We know that we’re going to have to be good in front of him and limit the chances, but we give one up, he’s there.

On heading home for a seven-game homestand one point out of a playoff spot
We’ve just got to play good. Doesn’t matter who we play, we’ve got to play good and we’ve got to defend. We’re creating enough right now, we’ve just got to make sure we’re defending enough, we’re disciplined. For whatever reason, we haven’t been great at home. I think it’s our time now to get hot here in the last little bit and really give ourselves a chance.

Notes –
– Forward Scott Laughton (1-0=1) scored his 11th goal of the campaign this evening, his fourth career goal against the Vancouver Canucks and his first power play marker of the 2025-26 season.
– Forward Trevor Moore (1-1=2) notched his 14th assist of the season on Laughton’s game-opening goal before scoring his 10th goal of the campaign. Tonight’s performance was Moore’s second multi-point effort of the year and marked his second consecutive game finding the scoresheet, following his assist on Tuesday in Calgary.
– Forward Artemi Panarin (1-0=1) tucked his 26th goal of the season, his 22nd point (8-14=22) in 23 career games played against Vancouver.
– Forward Quinton Byfield (1-1=2) notched his 24th assist and scored his 18th goal of the season tonight at Rogers Arena, extending several different streaks. With his empty-net goal to seal the Kings’ victory tonight, the center secured his third consecutive multi-point performance (4-2=6), dating back to Sunday in Utah, and his fourth consecutive multi-point road game (4-4=8), dating back to Monday, March 16, at the New York Rangers.
– Byfield joins Adrian Kempe (4-4=8) as the second Kings skater to post four consecutive multi-point road games this season, following the Swedish winger’s stretch from Oct. 10 – 23, 2025. The pair are the first skaters to record such a streak since Wayne Gretzky (3-7=10 in 4 GP) and Luc Robitaille (4-6=10 in 5 GP) each did so in the 1992-93 campaign.
– Additionally, Byfield’s performance tonight extends his point streak against the Canucks to a fifth game (2-4=6), dating back to Nov. 7, 2024. Byfield has now found the scoresheet (1-5=6) in four consecutive visits to Vancouver, dating back to Feb. 29, 2024. Byfield’s effort tonight was his 13th multi-point game of the season, surpassing Adrian Kempe (12 GP) for the most by a Kings skater this year.
– Defenseman Mikey Anderson (0-2=2) collected his 12th and 13th assists of the season this evening, his 98th and 99th career points (21- 78=99). Anderson is now just one point shy from becoming the 24th defenseman in Kings history to reach the century mark with the franchise and would become just the sixth American-born blueliner on that list.
– Forward Adrian Kempe (0-1=1) collected his team-leading 34th assist of the season, his 60th point of the campaign (26-24=60). Kempe secured his fourth consecutive 60-point season to become the ninth different Kings skater with a run of that length of longer. Per NHL PR, captain Anze Kopitar (2x: six seasons from 2006-07 – 2011-12; four seasons from 2021-22 – 2024-25) is the only other Kings player with a streak of that length in the past 30 years.
– Kempe has scored nine points (5-4=9) in his last six games against the Canucks, dating back to April 6, 2024, and has now recorded 20 points (8-12=20) in 27 career games played against the Pacific Division rival.
– Forward Alex Laferriere (0-1=1) collected his 18th assist of the season and leaves Vancouver with seven points (2-5=6) in his last six games, dating back to March 16 at Madison Square Garden.
– Defenseman Drew Doughty (0-1=1) recorded his 16th assist of the season and now has 29 points (8-21=29) in 49 career regular-season contests against Vancouver, tying Mark Hardy (6-23=29) for the most by a defenseman in Kings franchise history.
– Goaltender Darcy Kuemper turned aside all 19 of the Canucks shots this evening to secure his third shutout (SO) and 18th victory of the season tonight at Rogers Arena. Tonight’s blank-sheet was the 11th that Kuemper has recorded with the Kings, breaking a tie with Stephane Fiset (SO) and Kelly Hrudey (10 SO) for sole possession of the fifth most in franchise history. Kuemper’s 39th career shutout ties Jocelyn Thibault (39 SO) for the 50th most in NHL history.

The Kings have a scheduled day off tomorrow and will return to action against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday evening at 6 PM at Crypto.com Arena.