LOS ANGELES — Like the Kings’ postseason fate, their 4-2 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena went down to the wire in a grudge match befitting retiring Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf’s final game against the Kings.
Alexander Edler scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Kings closed in on their first playoff berth in four years with another victory over their regional rivals.
With five victories in six games, the Kings (96 points) have solidified their hold on third place in the Pacific Division. The Kings have two games left and are seven points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights, who have four games left. The Kings also are just two points behind Edmonton for second place in the Pacific, but the Oilers have two games in hand.
The Kings could clinch a playoff berth as early as Sunday if Vegas loses to San Jose in regulation. Second-place Edmonton, which has already clinched one of the Pacific Division’s three spots, and fourth-place Vegas were both idle on Saturday. Vancouver lost to Calgary, rendering catching the Kings impossible and leaving the Canucks’ playoff hopes hanging by the very thinnest of threads.
Winger Arthur Kaliyev contributed a goal and an assist and defensemen Matt Roy also scored for the Kings, with winger Adrian Kempe adding an empty-netter. Centers Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar each recorded two assists. Jonathan Quick overcame an egregious misplay and made 19 saves in their second win in five days over the Ducks.
Center Trevor Zegras became the top rookie scorer in Ducks history with a second-period goal and winger Gerald Mayhew also scored for the Ducks. Getzlaf had an assist and Anthony Stolarz made 36 saves. Center Derek Grant left the game with an injury and did not return.
The Kings withstood yet another late surge to protect their one-goal lead. Though their second line was held scoreless for just the ninth time since Jan. 1, center Phillip Danault drew a penalty in the waning moments of the game that abated the Ducks’ intensity with Stolarz pulled.
Instead, it was the King scoring as Iafallo lofted the puck off his backhand and into the empty net with 24 seconds left. Eighteen seconds later, a melee ensued near the boards though order was restored quickly.
Earlier in the third period, center Quinton Byfield and winger Carl Grundstrom generated a spectacular chance off the rush that was negated by a kick save. Instants later, Grundstrom fought winger Dominik Simon.
A faceoff win by Byfield and a long shot from Edler that changed direction off Ducks center Isac Lundestrom had given the Kings their second edge of the evening with 13:39 left.
The Kings had tied the score with 8:27 left in the second period. Some dogged forechecking left Kaliyev with the puck. He turned it back to Roy who let fly with a long, seeing-eye slapshot that entered the net between Stolarz’s pad and blocker through a Kopitar screen. Kopitar also earned the secondary assist, the 700th helper of his career.
Two-and-a-half minutes earlier, the Ducks had gone ahead after a disastrous blunder by Quick, who had appeared to maintain the command he’d shown in three straight wins to that point. An innocuous flip-in by Mayhew somehow eluded Quick as he went to clear the puck ahead, whiffing completely as it slid past him and into the goal.
At the 3:34 mark of the middle frame, it was a bridge from past to present on the power play as Getzlaf sent a pass across for Zegras, who ripped a rising shot from the right faceoff dot. Getzlaf is the Ducks’ all-time leading scorer, and Zegras’s goal gave him sole possession of the franchise’s rookie scoring record with 58 points. It had been held by Bobby Ryan since 2009.
The first period was largely a goaltenders’ duel, with Quick and Stolarz each denying strong chances late in the frame, though not during a discombobulated five-on-three power play for the Kings. The Kings had scored the lone goal in 20 minutes at even strength but could not capitalize on their extended two-man advantage or even register a shot on goal. Byfield hit the net twice to no avail during five-on-four action.
After the Kings’ goal, the Ducks nearly responded when a defensive zone turnover left Getzlaf and winger Troy Terry alone with Quick. He beat back both Getzlaf’s backhand bid and a follow attempt from Terry. Earlier in the frame, it was Stolarz shining with three tough stops, including one on a Kopitar breakaway.
Just past the halfway mark of the first period, the Kings gained the game’s first lead. Winger Carl Grundstrom’s sharp-angle shot banged off Stolarz’s pad to Byfield in the slot. Instead of firing on net, Byfield dropped a slick pass to Kaliyev, who swept the puck in uncontested for his 14th goal of the season.
With 11:39 left in the first period, the Kings and their fans honored Getzlaf with a photo montage and ovation. Getzlaf requited with a salute to the crowd.
“We’ve obviously had some good battles over the course of what, 16 years now? Yeah, the amount of respect I have for him is huge, he’s a Stanley Cup champion (with) multiple Olympic golds,” Kopitar said. “The amount of work he’s done for that organization, it’s tremendous, and he deserves all of the praise. When it’s time, I’m sure we’ll catch up and have a little chat about it all.”
More to come on this story.