ANAHEIM, Calif. — In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, Alex Laferriere netted the decisive goal early in the third period, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a narrow 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Erik Portillo made a remarkable debut in the NHL, stopping 28 shots and securing the victory for his team.

Laferriere not only recorded the game-winning goal but also contributed with an assist, while Alex Turcotte added another goal to the Kings’ tally during the 165th Freeway Faceoff rivalry clash. For Anaheim, Ryan Strome scored their only goal, and goaltender John Gibson turned away 16 attempts from Los Angeles.

Strome kicked off the scoring for the Ducks in the second period, taking advantage of a rebound after sneaking behind Phillip Danault, marking his fifth goal of the season. Eight minutes into the period, Turcotte leveled the score with his third career goal, finishing a 2-on-1 break alongside Laferriere. Laferriere later gave the Kings the lead when he capitalized on a rebound in front of Anaheim’s net after Danault had driven towards it, marking a notable tenth goal in his second NHL season.

At just 24 years old, Portillo was given the starting position in place of David Rittich, who is filling in due to an injury to Darcy Kuemper. Originally a third-round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in 2019, Portillo’s rights were traded to the Kings last year.

The Ducks were without forward Leo Carlsson for the second consecutive game as he deals with an upper-body injury.

### Takeaways

**Kings**: Following an impressive 4-1 victory against the NHL-leading Winnipeg, the Kings demonstrated another solid performance on the ice. They have bounced back effectively from a tough 7-2 defeat at San Jose earlier in the week.

**Ducks**: Anaheim continued to struggle offensively, remaining the lowest-scoring team in the league over the last six seasons. Though Portillo allowed several rebounds, the Ducks failed to capitalize on their opportunities, including going scoreless on three power plays.

### Key Moment

In a critical instance late in the game, Troy Terry found himself alone in front of Portillo with just 18 seconds remaining. However, he lost possession of the puck and couldn’t recover as Portillo made a desperate attempt to cover it.

### Key Stat

Portillo had to leave the game with 9:30 left on the clock due to a dislodged skate blade, with Rittich coming in for 83 seconds and managing to make two saves in that brief time.

### Upcoming Games

The Kings are set to face off against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, while the Ducks will also take on the Senators but on Sunday.