The Los Angeles Kings are getting healthier for the stretch run of their playoff push.
Forward Adrian Kempe scored a goal Monday night in his second game back from an upper-body injury, helping the Kings blank the New York Islanders 3-0 to cap a 3-1-1 homestand. Defenseman Mikey Anderson returned from his upper-body injury Monday after missing eight games.
The fortified Kings, who are 19-9-4 on the road, will open a three-game trip in St. Louis against the Blues Wednesday night.
Interim Kings coach Jim Hiller was especially pleased with Kempe’s performance against the Islanders.
“I thought that was his best game since I can remember,” Hiller said. “I thought he was extremely physical. He was fast, he just played a 200-foot game.
“You know you hear about that a lot, a 200-foot game, he was physical, he was a leader and that was all before he scored. Then, to see him score that goal, we’ve seen that goal many times, him down the wing and just snap it. All in all, just a really, really strong game.”
Anderson’s return made the Kings stronger on the back end. He scraped off his rust by playing the body against the Islanders.
“We haven’t had any time to practice, so for me, that’s the first time I’ve been around five guys on the ice at a time,” Anderson said. “I’ve been skating a lot just by myself with one other guy, so I wanted to try and get engaged right away. A little physicality always can help that.”
The Kings split their first two games with the Blues this season. They won 5-1 at home on Nov. 18 with Cam Talbot in goal and fell 4-3 in overtime in St. Louis with David Rittich in net.
Talbot started six straight games for the Kings until Rittich stepped in Monday to shut out the Islanders.
The Blues returned home after a 2-3-0 East Coast road swing. They are coming off a 5-1 victory at Boston that featured strong goaltending from backup Joel Hofer and a big game from the third line of Kevin Hayes (goal, assist), center Kasperi Kapanen (goal, two assists) and Brandon Saad (goal, assist).
St. Louis was 3-7-1 in their 11 games prior to that victory, and they had scored just four non-shootout goals in their previous four games on that trip.
“I’m proud of the guys,” interim Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “It’s been a tough road trip for us. Boston is not an easy place to come in and play. To see the effort those guys put in and the commitment they put in, I’m happy for them.
“It’s been frustrating in our dressing room. It’s been real frustrating. Guys have been trying to find ways to play this kind of hockey.”
Jordan Binnington had started 11 of the previous 13 Blues games before getting Monday off. He was the starter in the earlier loss to the Kings while Hofer was in net for the victory.
–Field Level Media
