LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings secured a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, marking their third consecutive win after previously experiencing five straight defeats. Phillip Danault and Quinton Byfield both found the back of the net during the second period for the Kings. Meanwhile, Vladislav Gavrikov and Drew Doughty also contributed goals, with Doughty sealing the win with an empty-net goal late in the game. Darcy Kuemper stood firm for the Kings, recording 33 saves to achieve his 20th win this season.
For the New York Islanders, Anders Lee managed to score, while Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves in the contest. The Islanders experienced a difficult time as two of their potential goals were disallowed due to goalie interference. This defeat marks their second in a row and their third loss out of the last five games.
Vladislav Gavrikov initiated the scoring for the Kings with a one-timer late in the first period, giving Los Angeles a 1-0 advantage. The Islanders managed to level the score during the second period when Anders Lee netted a shot from the inside edge of the left circle. However, the Kings quickly responded less than a minute later as Danault scored from a similar spot, reinstating their lead. Byfield then widened the gap with a short-handed goal on a breakaway midway through the period. Doughty completed the match with a short-handed empty-net goal, leaving only a minute and 17 seconds on the clock.
Takeaways from the match include the Islanders’ current struggle, as they see their hope of securing a wild card spot fade further with two recent losses, now trailing by five points with 18 games left. On the other hand, the Kings, currently third in the Pacific Division, continue to climb closer, sitting just a point behind the second place.
The game’s pivotal moment occurred when Anthony Duclair appeared to tie the game in the second period, but the goal was nullified after a review determined goalie interference. Shortly after, Byfield expanded the Kings’ lead. Later, Lee’s potential goal for the Islanders faced the same fate, contributing to their frustrations.
The Kings’ defense showed remarkable resilience, as the team, initially ranked 11th in penalty killing at 80.9%, thwarted all eight penalty plays by the Islanders, while also scoring their third and fourth short-handed goals of the season.
Looking ahead, the Islanders are set to host the Edmonton Oilers on Friday, while the Kings will welcome the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
