The first installment of the Freeway Faceoff this season has concluded with the Los Angeles Kings picking up their second win in a row, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. This Southern Californian rivalry has been largely one-sided for the past decade with the Kings having a 25-15-7 record over the Ducks since Oct. 21, 2014. It was much of the same last night as LA came out with their most complete game so far this season continuing where they left off in Montreal.
Offensively and defensively the Kings played how they wanted to play. There wasn’t any panicking or frustration early and for once, they didn’t take a penalty in the first half of the opening period, which was the most shocking.
The Ducks didn’t get a lot to the net only finishing with 15 shots on goal, however, out of those 15 shots they sure had a few quality looks. Kings goaltender David Rittich did not see a lot of rubber but he made some key saves in some big moments throughout the game especially early.
“You gotta keep your head in the game and he was there when called upon […] that’s his job, be there when called upon even if it’s not that much and he did a good job staying focused,” said head coach Jim Hiller.
LA finally showed some consistency, now with solid performances in back-to-back games. Hiller mentioned pre-game how he wanted the Kings to build on their win against the Canadiens and they fulfilled their coach’s wishes to a tee.
Third Period Masterclass
It was a game of progression for the Kings. Staying focused and committed as they tried to figure out Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal was key. The first period was super tight. The Kings couldn’t generate much but they also didn’t give up a lot either. As the game went on, they started to open up the Anaheim defense while sticking to their game defensively.
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“We stuck with our game, we knew we had to get a greasy goal, one of our guys was gonna step up and Juice had a breakaway and buried one so that gave us life and we just stuck with it,” said defenseman Joel Edmundson.
Adrian Kempe opened the scoring 3:06 into the third period and from there on out the Kings took complete control of the game dominating the Ducks in every facet. They spent loads of time in the offensive zone throwing everything they could at Dostal while giving the Ducks virtually no time and space through the neutral zone to even begin to generate anything – and it showed on the shot clock. The Kings finished with 37 shots on net, which was the most they have had so far this season, and the 15 shots that they gave up was the lowest amount they have given up through six games.
The Kings were stripping pucks, being in the right lanes to intercept pucks, forcing turnovers, and it’s what led to their second goal of the game. The third period was their best period of hockey so far and it was that first real sign of how the Kings like to play hockey. Take care of their own zone first and then generate offense off of their opponent’s mistakes and turnovers.
“We were pushing but we were playing really good defense, which is what the LA Kings have been known for,” said Rittich.
Turcotte & Laferriere Fit So Well
Coming into the 2024-25 season, the implementation of youth was a big part of the Kings’ identity. The success of this Kings team is highly dependent on how well and ready these young players are and six games into the season Alex Turcotte and Alex Laferriere have been everything they could ask for and more.
Turcotte can do so many things well, it’s been a pleasure to watch. From his IQ to the facilitation of the puck to his insane anticipation of the play and phenomenal work down low behind the net, he’s dangerous in more ways than one. Laferriere hounds pucks and causes turnovers individually, and most importantly he finishes. It’s two things he’s been doing since the start of the season, and it’s what has made him so successful early on.
For the past two games, the two young forwards have been paired up on the third line alongside Warren Foegele and have fit perfectly. They connected for a goal against the Canadiens where Turcotte did the dirty work down low before Laferriere tipped in a point shot from Jordan Spence. They created a goal against the Ducks where Turcotte was aggressive on the forecheck which forced defenseman Jackson LaCombe to panic and give the puck right to Laferriere in the slot. Both of their styles fit so well together, and it’s no surprise that goals have occurred when they are on the ice together. It was an adjustment Hiller and the coaching staff made to try and change things up after a bad loss in Toronto and it’s an adjustment that shouldn’t be touched for some time.
“That’s them, that’s speed. The three of them are quick, tenacious, and when you’re moving like that it’s a tough line to handle,” said Hiller.
The Kings head into Vegas on Tuesday with a 3-1-2 record, to close out their seven-game road trip. Good teams string wins together and with the way the Kings have played their last two games, the momentum and confidence in their play right now should give them a good shot at extending their winning streak to three games.
