Quinton Byfield scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:37 remaining in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings topped the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night at Newark, N.J.
On a power play with the game tied 1-1, Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke sent the puck into some net-front traffic from the point. Positioned well was Byfield, who has five goals and four assists in his past seven games, to initially deflect it off Devils goalie Nico Daws, then fight to put in the rebound for the Kings’ lead.
Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal and David Rittich was stout when needed while making 26 saves for Los Angeles, which rebounded from an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Buffalo on Tuesday to win for the third time in four games.
Ex-King Tyler Toffoli recorded his team-leading 23rd goal and Daws stopped 27 shots for New Jersey, which is fighting to move into playoff position in the Eastern Conference and had earned five points in its previous three games.
The Devils sent 15 shots on net in the third period, but Rittich, who yielded five goals in two periods against the Sabres, stayed calm and kept his team in position to pull ahead.
Los Angeles outshot the Devils 13-5 during a scoreless first period, then finally managed to open the scoring while short-handed at 8:07 of the second. Adrian Kempe garnered the puck, broke in and put a shot on net, which Daws saved. However, the charging Kopitar buried the rebound for just his third goal in his past 23 games. It was his 16th of the season.
New Jersey pulled level on its next power-play opportunity. At 12:58 of the second, Toffoli cleaned up the rebound of Jesper Bratt’s shot amid a bevy of net-front bodies.
Los Angeles’ Viktor Arvidsson recorded five shots on goal during nearly 16 minutes of ice time in his season debut after recovering from back surgery. Pregame, the Kings placed Carl Grundstrom and Blake Lizotte on long-term injured reserve due to lower-body injuries.
–Field Level Media
