Well, that didn’t end like it started. It certainly had the same expected result, but the blowout.
In Los Angeles on Sunday night, the Kings abused the St Louis Blues in the first period to take a 5-1 lead after 20 minutes.
In the last two periods, the Blues almost chased down LA, but lost, 7-6.
“These games aren’t going to happen the rest of the way I don’t think,” said Kings defenseman Sean Durzi. “It’s going to be tight the rest of the year and we got to be able to close it out a little better than we did tonight.”
Viktor Arvidsson scored twice in the first period, including a goal 27 seconds into the contest.
After Arvidsson, Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe added power play goals for a 3-0 lead in the first.
Brandon Saad interrupted the barrage with a power play goal to make it 3-1, then Arvidsson hit his double off the power play, and Trevor Moore scored for a 5-1 lad after the first.
Pheonix Copley made 16 saves in the Kings win.
“We were able to get to a young goaltender, and it came real fast,” Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan said. “Nothing ever comes easy in this league, but the power play was clicking. Everything felt good, and then we played like it felt good instead of playing our game, and that’s when it changed.”
LA extended their point streak to a franchise record 12 games, they improved to 43-20-10.
Justin Faulk scored early in the middle frame to pull the Blues to 5-2.
“Sometimes you play good and lose, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that today,” Faulk said.
St Louis used that rally to a 5-4 deficit on goals from Pavel Buchnevich at 16:05, and Jordan Kyrou at 17:35 of the second.
The Kings did not respond until 4:37 of the third on Kempe’s second of the night and a 6-4 lead.
St Louis got that back on a strike from Kasperi Kapanen, but lost the momentum when Drew Doughty scored just 39 seconds later off the power play for a 7-5 lead. to LA.
The Kings scored four times in five chances on the power play.
“You got to win in different ways even when you’re not playing your best, which was evident tonight,” McLellan said. “The power play came through.”
Kyrou scored with 49 seconds left on the clock for the 7-6 final.
“Not really into consolation prizes. We were down 5-1,” Faulk said. “Generally with three, four-goal games, the other team sits back and the team starts to get chances. It happens the other way, too. … It made it more fun to play than down 5-1 the whole way, that’s for sure.”
Joel Hofer got the start for the Blues and surrendered five goals, making 12 saves.
Jordan Binnington made 12 saves in relief.
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