Back home after a much-needed victory, the Los Angeles Kings are set to play host Monday to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are wobbling into their upcoming Christmas break.
The Kings ended a three-game road trip against some NHL heavyweights with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday after losing 4-1 to the Dallas Stars and 3-2 to the defending champion Florida Panthers.
The Kings have been home just once since Dec. 8, when they fell 2-1 in overtime to the Calgary Flames on Dec. 13.
Adrian Kempe lifted Los Angeles to the victory at Tampa Bay with a pair of second-period goals. The Lightning took 13 shots in the third period, but Anton Forsberg stopped all of them to complete a 31-save night.
The victory Thursday ended a four-game losing streak (0-2-2) for the Kings and was just the response head coach Jim Hiller was looking for after the 3-2 loss at Florida one day earlier.
“We spent a lot of energy in Florida trying to battle back, so I didn’t think we had quite the same legs, but our will was there and I think that’s really what carried the day for us,” Hiller said.
Kempe played 21 minutes in the loss Wednesday, his most in a 12-game stretch, but had plenty left for the Lightning.
“I was fresh,” Kempe said. “Felt good, legs felt good. Just tried to beat them up the ice.”
Los Angeles had three days to prepare for the visit from the Blue Jackets, with Monday’s game the start of another back-to-back as the Seattle Kraken pay a visit Tuesday.
The Blue Jackets are on a quick two-game trip to Southern California that opened with a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Columbus has now lost seven of its past eight games, going 1-6-1 in the stretch.
Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets against the Ducks. Columbus trailed 2-0 three minutes into the game and battled back to tie it 3-3 on Werenski’s goal at 12:44 of the third. The Ducks scored the game winner with 3:29 remaining.
It was Werenski’s fifth goal in the past three games with the defenseman leading Columbus in goals (14) and assists (26) on the season. He also is on a five-game points streak with five goals and five assists in the stretch.
Mason Marchment scored a second-period goal in his Blue Jackets debut. He was acquired in a trade with the Kraken on Friday.
“They did a great job getting it through and just got a little piece there,” Marchment said. “Happy it went in.”
Forward Miles Wood missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury.
After Monday’s game, the Blue Jackets will be off for nearly a week until they face the New York Islanders at home next Sunday. They will play four of their first five games after Christmas at home.
Blue Jackets are on a four-game losing streak at Los Angeles, last winning there in January 2020. That is their only victory in LA since November 2015.
–Field Level Media
