In Los Angeles, the Kings’ Phillip Danault hit for a hat trick on Sunday afternoon in a 5-1 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils. 
It was the first time all season that Danault had scored on home ice.
The slump’s over at home,” Danault said.
Cam Talbot made 30 saves in the win.
The Kings improved to 31-19-10.
“That was our goal after a good finish of the road trip, to stay on it and continue playing like that,” LA’s Kevin Fiala said, referring to a 5-1 win at the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. “I think we did.”
Timo Meier s was the lone striker for New Jersey, his goal came with 15 seconds gone in the game for a 1-0 lead.
It was pretty much the end of the offense for New Jersey.
“I don’t think it’s about effort, it’s more between the ears,” New Jersey’s Erik Haula said. “We keep kind of shooting ourselves in the foot, we keep making similar mistakes, and at this time of the year, it’s going to hurt you.”
Oh. it’s effort, too.
New Jersey plays soft, and no one wants to pay to see that.
“We got the start we wanted, came out and scored a goal,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “You can do a lot of great things in the game, and then you can beat yourself. I thought we beat ourselves.”
The Kings replied with a pair of goals in the first period to take a 2-1 lead into the middle frame.
Danault picked up his first of the game at 7:56 to tie the match, 1-1, scoring off breakaway for an easy goal.
“Kevin (Fiala) , just a heads up play by him,” Danault said. “Great pass, and good play all around.”
Alex Laferriere put the Kings up to stay when added a marker at 14:49, scoring through a screen set up by the New Jersey skaters.
New Jersey dropped to 30-27-4.
In the middle frame, Danault hit for his double at 12:23 for a 3-1 lead to LA. He was uncontested on the left side before receiving a pass from Matt Roy for an easy wrister.
Fiala padded the lead with a power play strike at 12:57, he also scored off an unmolested shot from the left side, for a 4-1 advantage headed to the third period.
“Get yourself in a 4-1 hole, it’s a pretty steep hill to climb,” New Jersey’s Erik Haula said. “We basically got to start winning out here to have a really good chance of making it. We can’t lose many more games.”
In the third, Danault collected his hats with an empty-net goal at 17:47 for the 5-1 final.
He took a stretch pass for the breakaway and was only gently tapped by a New Jersey skater.
“He has done so many good things the whole season and he deserves it, and today was his day,” Fiala said.
Nico Daws got the start and was left to out to dry by his defense and back checkers.; he made nine saves and yielded four goals before getting the hook in the second.
Akira Schmid made nine saves in a mop up role.
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