LA KINGS
15-11-5 | 2nd in Pacific
Last week, the Kings faced off against the Ottawa Senators on the road, Tuesday night, to open the week’s slate. The Kings jumped out to a commanding lead, scoring four goals in the first period alone. Anze Kopitar would post three (3) total points for the game, all of which came by the assist. Viktor Arvidsson also scored two goals in the contest, helping the Kings control the game from the beginning. Los Angeles would earn a victory in their first road matchup of the week by a score of 5-2.
On Thursday night, the Kings took on the Toronto Maple Leafs and had more difficulty finding the back of the net than they did on Tuesday, as they were shutout on the road. Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov had 29 saves, holding the usual high-scoring offense to a minimum. The Maple Leafs would win this game by a score of 5-0.
Facing off against the Montreal Canadians on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, the Kings would get back to their winning ways. Los Angeles would once again start fast, scoring two goals in the first twenty minutes. After a late surge by Montreal in the third period, Adrian Kempe scored the empty netter to secure a 4-2 victory over the Canadians.
In their fourth straight road game, Los Angeles would be a part of another high scoring thriller, this time against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus would hold a commanding lead throughout the majority of the contest; however, Los Angeles would score two third period goals, forcing overtime. Anze Kopitar would net two goals in the contest, keeping the Kings alive. Just 40 seconds into extra time, Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau would crush the hearts of Kings fans, scoring to capture a 6-5 victory on their home ice.
The Kings start a new week of games tonight, where they will stay on the road for the next two games. Their first matchup is against the Buffalo Sabres (12-14-2| 7th in Atlantic), the first of three games this week.
Upcoming Games:
Tues. Dec. 13 – LA (15-11-5) at Buffalo (12-14-2)
Thurs. Dec. 15 – LA (15-11-5) at Boston (22-4-1)
Sat. Dec. 17 – San Jose (9-16-5) at LA (15-11-5)
ONTARIO REIGN
14-7-0-1 | 3rd in Pacific
The Ontario Reign only played in three games this week, taking on the Henderson Silver Knights to begin the week’s slate.
On Wednesday night against Henderson, the Reign had to attempt to dig themselves out of an early hole, as mistakes cost them throughout the contest. The Silver Knights scored two shorthanded goals on goaltender Cal Petersen and the power-play unit. Henderson’s Laurent Brossoit earned the first star on the night, keeping Ontario off the scoreboard until the final minutes with 30 saves. The Reign would fall by a score of 3-1.
On Friday, the Reign would find itself in a dogfight with the Tuscon Roadrunners, as the game would ultimately go to overtime. Andre Lee netted his first professional goal, and Quinton Byfield would score the game-winner in extra time to capture the 4-3 win for Ontario. Cal Petersen earned the victory for Ontario by stopping a total of 44 shots and was named the first star of the night.
In the second straight night, the Reign would win a thriller in overtime, 3-2, over the Roadrunners. Ontario held a 41-17 shots on goal advantage, and it would prove to be important in a close matchup. Saturday’s hero was Rasmus Kupari, who netted the game-winner at 1:36 of the extra session. Goaltender Matt Villalta improved to 4-2 on the season in the win.
With back-to-back wins against Tuscon over the weekend, the Reign improved to 14-7-0-1 through 22 games, which places them in third place in the Pacific Division.
Upcoming Games:
Fri. Dec. 16 – Ontario (14-7-0-1) at Bakersfield (9-13-1-0)
Sat. Dec. 17 — Bakersfield (9-13-1-0) at Ontario (14-7-0-1)