LOS ANGELES — Drew Doughty scored a goal and added an assist, and Mike Richards scored a power play goal late in the second period to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in front of a standing room only crowd of 18,473 fans at Staples Center on April 13.
Ryan Getzlaf scored the lone goal for the Ducks.
Doughty gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 10:10 of the first period on a slap shot from above the top of the slot that deflected first off Getzlaf in the slot, and then off of Ducks forward Corey Perry, before beating Anaheim goaltender Viktor Fasth between his leg pads.
With Anaheim defenseman Ben Lovejoy in the box at 5:27 of the second period for a high sticking double minor, not only did the Kings fail to get a single shot on goal during that four-minute power play, but they gave up a shorthanded goal to Getzlaf.
On the play, Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin’s wrist shot from above the top of the slot was blocked by Getzlaf, with the puck bouncing into the Kings zone. Kings netminder Jonathan Quick skated towards the blue line to play the puck, but did not a bit hesitantly. That gave Getzlaf all the time he needed to beat Quick to the puck and, from the right circle wrist it into the wide open net at the 3:07 mark.
With Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin off for delay of game after he lifted the puck over the glass at 18:39, Richards scored on the power play goal at 19:02 on a blast from the top of the left circle, beating Fasth top corner, left side of the net, with Kings winger Dustin Brown and Ducks defenseman Toni Lydman screening him—Fasth never saw the shot.
Fasth made 16 saves in a losing effort. On the opposite end, aside from the gaffe on Getzlaf’s goal, Quick was brilliant in a 19-save effort, earning his 15th win of the season.
Post-Game Quotes From Anaheim Ducks Dressing Room
Anaheim Head Coach Bruce Boudreau
“It was a tough game. After the first period, I didn’t think we had our legs, it was 6 to 1 in shots and we got in penalty trouble. I thought, in the second and third periods, we played as hard as we could play. We had chances to take the lead. We had chances to tie it up. We just didn’t get it done. We aren’t scoring any goals. Look at the numbers of guys who haven’t scored in a long time now. What our strength at the beginning of the year was that everybody was scoring now it’s a weakness because nobody is scoring. To win hockey games you have to score goals.”
Anaheim Goaltender Viktor Fasth
“For a goalie, it’s tougher to get in a game when you don’t get that many shots. That’s what happened today. They were pretty efficient. We didn’t manage to score more goals than them. It was a tough one.”
(On Richards goal): “I think it hit [the knob of my stick], and went upstairs. I didn’t see much when he shot it. I basically went down to get to the ice, but I have to work harder to track the puck. There’s always something you could have done different.”
(on the second period and the penalties): “ I think we did a good job on the PK. We had a couple of penalties in the second, but we came out strong after that and worked our way into the game.”
Anaheim Center Ryan Getzlaf
“They are a good hockey team. There’s a reason they got back to where they are in the standings, and the way they have played the second half of the year. In the first period, we have to come out a little bit harder. To have one shot after the first period is unacceptable against a team like this.”
(On how far away they are from having their game in order): “We played pretty well. We held them to two shots in the second period and one went in. It’s one of those things, nothing against Viktor, it wasn’t his fault. It went in the net. When you [can] hold a team like that to two shots in a period you are doing something right. It’s a matter of putting a full 60 minutes together and going out there and doing it. It’s a bounce here or there. We had one opportunity on the power play at the end and we didn’t take advantage of it. They took advantage of theirs.”
(On his shorthanded goal): “It’s one of those things. We were on the PK and it was an opportunity after I blocked a shot and made something happen. Thank God Quick second guessed himself and I was able to get there before him.”
NOTES:
- The Kings are 7-2-2 in their last eleven games, and 21-9-2 in their last 32 games.
- The Kings’ 24-14-4 record is the fourth-best 42-game mark in club history.
- The Kings’ 16-4-1 record at home is the best 21-game home mark in club history.
- The Kings are now 18-2-2 when scoring first in a game.
- The Kings are now 103-1-11 in the last 115 games when leading after two periods (since April 4, 2009).
- Richards now has points in six straight games (three goals, four assists for seven points).
- Doughty now has six points in the last six games (four goals, two assists).
- With an assist on Richards’ goal, center Anze Kopitar now has assists in five of the last six games (five assists).
- Quick has stopped 45-of-48 shots in the last two games, and is now 13-5-2 lifetime against Anaheim.
- The Kings won the season series vs. Anaheim with a 2-1-1 record (five points). The Ducks were 2-2-0 (four points).
- The Kings have now won five straight over Anaheim at Staples Center (since November 16, 2011).
Frozen Royalty Video via FrozenRoyaltyNHL on YouTube – Exclusive video of post-game media interview with Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau, April 14, 2013
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Post-Game Interviews via KingsVision On YouTube
Game Highlights From KingsVision: Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings, April 13, 2013, Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
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