Kings And Ducks supported Saturday's game at Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings emerged from the NHL's three-day layoff having lost six of their last seven, scoring just 11 goals in that span. Only two Western Conference teams posted worse records in December.
However, the Ducks haven't fared much better, winning just two of their last seven games and relinquishing the lead in the Pacific Division. But league rules said someone had to win Saturday, and it turned out to be the Kings, who scored four goals in the first period and Alex Laferrierefirst career hat-trick for a dominant player victory with a score of 6-1 it wasn't nearly as close as the final result showed.
Drew Doughty gave the Kings the lead and only three minutes left on the opening faceoff, finding open ice at the edge of the crease where he made a pass Quinton Byfield and deflected the ball past the Ducks goalkeeper Lucas got it. The second assist on goal went to ex-Duck Corey Perry.
Less than a minute later, Trevor Moore doubled the lead by redirecting a cross from Brian Dumoulin into the left circle. Ducks coach Joel Quenneville responded by calling a 30-second timeout to calm his team down.
It didn't work as Laferriere deflected Dostal's one-timer just outside the penalty area to make it 3-0 with 9:39 left in the first period. When Byfield scored on a power play in the final minute, the Kings had their first four-goal period of the season and first four-goal game in nearly three weeks.
After being booed at the end of their last game, a 3-2 loss to Seattle on Wednesday, the Kings left for the first intermission.
The Ducks finally got on the board when Mason MacTavish scored a power-play goal midway through the second period. They worked hard to achieve this goal, outscoring the Kings 12-1 over the period but coming away with just one goal.
Laferriere matched that feat less than five minutes into the third period with a breakaway goal, his third career multi-goal game and first this season. Dumoulin and Anze Kopitar each contributed the second assist.
And Laferriere wasn't done there, scoring his 10th goal on a one-goal shot from the high slot at 13:15 of the final period. The Kings' six goals matched their season high and were one shy of what they had scored in their last four games combined.
