The Los Angeles Kings delivered a double dose of destruction on the weekend, dismantling the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins, whom they defeated back-to-back, 7-2, on consecutive nights and at Crypto.com Arena.
Saturday night’s matchup against the Hurricanes was another example of an unyielding offensive barrage. The Kings burst out of the gate with their captain, Anže Kopitar, registering a goal and two assists. Quinton Byfield scored twice, and Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist. The Kings took advantage of almost every chance, using their speed and precision to break down a usually disciplined Carolina defense. Goaltender Cam Talbot was crisp, making 31 saves on 33 shots and denying the Hurricanes any momentum they tried to gain.
Less than 24 hours later, the Kings repeated the offensive eruption against the Boston Bruins. In a sensational sequel, the Kings lit up the lamp seven more times with balanced scoring distributed among the four lines. Adrian Kempe had a goal and three assists, and Drew Doughty anchored the defense and had a power-play goal. David Rittich started in net and was solid, stopping 28 of 30 shots to win.
“Back-to-back games like that are not easy for teams, especially two Eastern Conference powerhouses,” Kings head coach Jim Hiller said. “But our guys stuck to it, played up tempo and were rewarded. The atmosphere in the room was phenomenal.”
Anze Kopitar recorded his 18th goal of the season, his eighth career goal against the Bruins, taking the lead over Bobby
Ryan for sole possession of third-most goals against the Bruins by a skater chosen in the 2005 NHL Draft. Kopitar has six points over his past six home games, dating back to March 8.
The Kings’ power play was also a big part of both nights’ success, netting 5 of 10 chances. Defensively, they forced both the Hurricanes and Bruins to the outside, kept high-danger chances to a minimum, and won most of the board battles.
The two decisive victories propel the Kings’ postseason push, giving them more precious points and momentum as they continue their ascent in the Western Conference standings. If this weekend was any indication, the Kings are peaking at just the right time — and sending a resounding message to the rest of the NHL.
