LOS ANGELES — Quinton Byfield scored the go-ahead objective late within the second interval because the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers 2-1 on Saturday evening, spoiling Rangers’ goaltender Jonathan Fast’s return.
Kevin Fiala additionally scored for the Kings, who gained for less than the second time in 11 video games. David Rittich stopped 22 pictures.
Fast made 24 saves in his first recreation in Los Angeles since being traded by the Kings to the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1 final season. Fast ultimately wound up with Vegas and picked up a 3rd Stanley Cup ring earlier than signing with the Rangers throughout the offseason.
The Kings honored Fast with a 2-minute tribute on their videoboard throughout the first interval.
“Clearly that ceremony and acknowledgement was actually essential for lots of people in that locker room. It was emotional for lots of our guys and really deserving,” Kings coach Todd McLellan stated. “He deserved an additional 5 minutes. It is too dangerous we could not cease the clock.”
Fast, who beat the Kings in a Dec. 10 recreation at Madison Sq. Backyard, tried to deflect the eye he obtained and the importance of the return to Los Angeles.
“No, they play movies on a regular basis. Simply one other video,” he stated of the tribute. “It was a hockey recreation, highway recreation, attempting to get two factors. Got here up a little bit brief.”
Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers. New York had an influence play for the ultimate 1:39 of the sport after Trevor Moore was known as for top sticking, however the Kings killed it off. It was the twenty fifth time within the final 26 possibilities the Kings haven’t allowed a objective on the facility play.
“I did not like the beginning. Begin was no good, we had been outworked,” coach Peter Laviolette stated after the Rangers misplaced for the sixth time in eight video games. “I assumed the second and third interval we turned it round, however in a decent recreation like that, you surrender that objective within the first and may’t get again in.”
Fast, who turns 38 on Sunday, backstopped the Kings to their Cup titles in 2012 and ’14. He gained the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2012 after recording three shutouts in 20 begins.
A 3rd-round choose by the Kings in 2005, he holds the franchise information for goalies in video games performed (743) and shutouts (57).
“Clearly wished to win for him. He performed unbelievable,” stated Kreider of Fast. “We’re not discovering the online proper now.”
4 minutes after Kreider tied it, Byfield crashed the online to place the Kings again on prime 2-1. Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s backhand went off Fast’s left shoulder and down his again, however did not cross the road. After a rush in entrance of the online, Byfield was there to bury the rebound at 18:13 for his thirteenth of the season.
“I simply went in there and cleaned it up. That was all Jaret studying the play, making transfer to the online. It was all him and I received rewarded for it,” Byfield stated.
Fiala snapped a six-game objective drought with 34.4 seconds remaining within the first interval. Moore made a pleasant move close to the crease to Fiala, who waited for Fast to commit after which fired it right into a near-open web after Fast was sprawled on the ice.
Kreider evened it at 14:39 of the second when he redirected Adam Fox’s pinpoint move into the online and beat Rittich on his brief facet. Not solely was it Kreider’s twenty first this season, nevertheless it was his 136th highway objective with the Rangers, tied for fourth-most in crew historical past.
Alexis Lafrenière took a puck to the face on a shot by the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin with 8:48 remaining within the third interval however returned lower than two minutes later.
