In Los Angeles Thursday, the Kings found an all around game and defeated the visiting Washington Capitals, 3-1.
Jeff Carter picked up his fourth goal of the season and had two points on the night and Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford added goals in the win.
“They’re all playoff games, for us especially,” Lewis said. “Coming down the stretch here, we’ve got some must-win games just to be able to get in (to the playoffs), so every game is big right now.”
The win pushed the Kings back into the second wild card spot.
Jonathan Quick made 25 saves to pick up the win.
LA improved to 37-25-5 and took advantage on a night when the Colorado Avalanche were losing in overtime.
“Quick was really good when we had our looks,” Caps head coach Barry Trotz said. “We’ve got to find a way to hit the back of the net a little bit more.”
Jakub Vrana scored the lone goal for the Caps who have been listless on the west coast trip.
Lewis contributed to the win with the goal and his presence on the ice after missing 12 games.
“Having [forward Trevor Lewis] back was a guy we really missed. Getting some games under [Jeff Carter’s] belt has been really important for us too,” LA head coach John Stevens said after the game.
With Lewis and Carter back in the lineup, the Kings have a much more potent lineup than they have iced over the last few weeks.
[WATCH:Â All Capitals vs. Kings highlights]
Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves in taking the loss.
“I thought it was a pretty even game. We just needed a little more finish, we need to get a dirty goal, get something on the power play, but it’s not coming easy for us,” Trotz said after the loss.
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