Andrei Kuzmenko won his first goal and his first help as a king in a first period of three goals on Saturday, causing a Route 7-2 From Hurricanes from Carolina to Crypto.com Arena.
The victory was the seventh in eight games for the Kings, corresponding to his best sequence of the season, while the margin of victory was the most unilateral. The victory also brought the Kings in equality with Edmonton for the second in the Pacific division, before the match of the Oilers against Seattle on Saturday evening.
Kuzmenko joined the team on the deadline for trade and although the Kings have lost only once since his arrival, his name had not appeared on the match sheet before Saturday.
“Sometimes you make games and the washer goes to the net and you get a assist,” said coach Jim Hiller before the match. “Sometimes you play games, and for any reason, the washer is not going on the net and you do not get any passte. He cannot lose his confidence.”
Speaking of confidence, Carolina came to make a sequence of eight consecutive victories of eight games, but the Kings, who scored on half of their first -time shots, only needed three minutes to go ahead.
Adrian Kempe, leaving the bench on a line change, took the samuel Helenius washer at the red line, patinated in the end of the hurricanes, then beaten Pyotr Kochetkov from the top of the right circle. The goal was his 29th at the top of the season team, exceeding his total of 2023-24.
Anze Kopitar doubled his head at the end of the period when his centering pass for Kempe died in the skate of Jordan Martinook in Caroline eight seconds after a power game. The assistance went to Kuzmenko, who made 3-0 with his first goal as king five seconds before the first intermission.
But the Kings did not give up, with Trevor Moore, Tanner Jeannot and Quinton Byfield doubling the advance at 6-0 with goals less than three minutes apart at the start of the second period. The seven authorized goals were the worst of the season for Caroline, who finally put the painting on the goal of Dmitry Orlov with 5:43 to do in the middle. The Kings pleaded for the interference of goalkeeper on the game, but their call was refused.
Kings of Kings Kevin Fiala and Mark Jankowski from Caroline have exchanged goals in the last two minutes to report on the final score.
The Kings face Boston in the second match on a consecutive Sunday.
