LIVE Game Thread FINAL: Los Angeles Kings 4, Utah 1

The Los Angeles Kings will face off against the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City before returning to Crypto.com Arena for a four-game homestand. Currently 2nd in the Pacific Division, the Kings will be looking to stay ahead of 3rd place Edmonton with a win at Delta Center. 

Having already broken the franchise record for home wins this season (28), Los Angeles has been plagued with poor play on the road this year (14-19-5) and would love to get two road points against a Utah club that is currently nine points out of a playoff spot.

Last Ten Games

LA 7-3-0  Streak: W2

UTA  5-4-1 Streak: W2

Team Leaders

LAK

9 Adrian Kempe 32 G 30 A 62 P

11 Anze Kopitar 19 G 43 A 62 P

UTA

9 Clayton Keller 25 G 55 A 80 P

8 Nick Schmaltz 17 G 41 A 58 P

1st PERIOD

We are underway in Salt Lake City!

Shot attempt from Durzi blocked in the slot

GOAL Clumsy line change from LA leads to a Utah counter. Dylan Guenther scores on a wrist shot but LA challenges that the play was offside and the goal is overturned. Still scoreless with 16:56 to go in the 1st period.

HUGE sprawling pad save by Kuemper on a walk-in by Kesselring. Utah entering the LA zone at will with speed, leading to quality chances. The Kings will need to clean this up.

Utah with seven SOG, most of which were quality looks. LA still with just one registered shot on goal.

Very low energy first 10 minutes from LA. Kuemper keeping them in it so far.

Utah deflection on goal but Kuemper denies it. Utah starting to buzz with sustained pressure in the LA zone.

Ex-King Sean Durzi creates some chances with a couple of wide-angle shots but once again Kuemper keeps things scoreless.

Another good scoring chance from Utah and LA ices the puck. The ice is heavily tilted towards Utah right now. 16 shots on goal to just 3 for LA.

After some sustained zone time, the Kings finally clear the zone.  LA has been on their heels for pretty much the entire period. 

Penalty 2 minutes for hooking on Gavrikov. Utah will start the 2nd period with 1:48 remaining on their power play.

END OF 1

RECAP: It's been all Utah so far in this one. LA has generated very few chances and Utah has been gaining the LA zone all night with speed. Kings' goalie Darcy Kuemper is the only reason that LA isn't down two or three goals already. Hard to believe that these are the same guys that beat Winnipeg just a few night ago.

Shot on Goal

1st Period

LA 3

UTAH 16

2nd PERIOD

Underway in the second. Kings will be shorthanded for another minute. 

Utah set up in the LA zone. Point shot and glove save from Kuemper who has been the Kings' best player so far tonight.

LA back to full-strength.

The Kings still with just three shots on goal.

Kuemper makes an easy glove save on a weak shot from Keller.

Kuzmenko finds Kopitar in front of the net but it goes wide. 1st dangerous looking shift for LA tonight.

Utah come right back in front of Kuemper with a backhand. 

Foegele skates in and gets off a good shot from the circle that is handled by Vejmelka.

LA being badly outshot 23-4 with 13:28 remaining in the second period.

Kempe goes hard to the net and gets pulled down by Cooley from behind. Kempe makes contact with Vejmelka and tempers flare a bit.

GOAL Toronto rules that the puck crossed the line and LA goes up 1-0, completely against the run of play. 

Penalty 2 minutes for high-sticking on Adrian Kempe.

LA kills off the penalty and Utah is 0/2 on the power play tonight.

GOAL Lawson Course takes a pass from behind the net and roofs it top corns to tie the game at one. Great shot.

LA just having so much trouble getting any sustained o-zone time pressure tonight. Still just seven shots on goal with 1:40 remaining in the period.

Fiala catches a breakout pass and get behind the Utah line. Vejmelka makes a great pad save to deny Fiala.

END OF TWO

SHOT ON GOAL

LA 9

UTA 25

40 minutes of lackluster hockey from LA and yet, they are somehow still in this one. All tied at 1 after two periods. 

Recap: LA very lucky to still be in this game at this point.

3rd PERIOD

Underway in the third!

Dangerous attempt by Byfield on a feed from Fiala. Q gets Vejmelka'd.

Hard shot from Doan but Kuemper fights it off.

Chippy cross-check from Kopitar along the boards but Stenlund embellishes a tad and we will skate 4-on-4.

GOAL Bad turnover from Marino who puts the puck right on Fiala's stick and the Swiss forward fires it home. 2-1 LAK

GOAL Trevor finds himself all alone in the Utah zone and he goes backhand tweeners on Vejmelka. 3-1 LAK. Incredible turn of events in just under a minute in this game. Wow.

Kesselring sets up Hayton on the doorstep but Kuemper stands his ground.

Kuzmenko with a bid in tight but Vejmelka just gets enough to keep it out.

Penalty Utah too many men on the ice. LA to the power play.

Kempe with a hard one-timer but Vejmelka makes the save. 

Back to even strength. LA 0/1 on the power play tonight.

Marino set up right in front of Kuemper but can't handle the hard pass through the slot from Guenther.

Gavrikov with a big clapper on a feed from Kuzmenko but Vejmelka turns it away.

Fiala speeds through the circle and fires off a shot. Vejmelka gloves it down.

Vejmelka has been pulled and we are skating 6-on-5 with 1:57 to go.

GOAL Byfield wins the draw and Doughty fires it all the way down the ice into the empty net. LAK 4-1. 

Penalty Brandt Clarke two minutes for tripping.

GOAL Jack McBain on the power play. 4-2 LAK

FINAL

LAK 4

UTA 2

Shot on goal

LA 19

UTA 30

Kings have now won 12 of their last 15 and sweep the season series with Utah.

Recap: Far from being the Kings' best performance of the year, they gut out a huge two points on the road thanks to stellar goaltending from Darcy Kuemper and opportunistic strikes on the offensive end from Fiala and Moore.

Up next:

Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers, April 5th, 1:00 PM Pacific, Crypto.com Arena.

1st of a home and home series with Edmonton. Absolutely huge game.