Kings defeat Ducks and extend home winning streak to eight games

O Kings won their eighth consecutive game at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, defeating the Ducks 3-1 to match the team’s longest home winning streak in more than three decades and move three points ahead of idle Las Vegas in the battle for third place in the Pacific Division.

The Kings, who have finished third the past two seasons, still have two games remaining in the regular season, both at home. Vegas has three games remaining. Since the All-Star break, the Kings are an NHL-best 13-2-1 at home.

“We want to play well,” he said Kings interim coach Jim Hiller about stretch marks. “You can play well and not win in this league; this happens on many different nights. So we want to play well.

“We’re going to take the wins. We want to win, of course. But we just want to feel good, whether it’s winning or playing well and maybe not being able to do that.”

See more information: Kings beat Flames and secure playoff spot for third consecutive season

The Kings’ goals came from Pierre-Luc Dubois and Matt Roy, both in the second period, and Kevin Fiala, with less than three minutes left in the third period.

Trevor Zegras was responsible for the Patos’ goal.

Dubois opened the scoring three minutes into the second period, slotting a loose puck into the side of the net on a power play.

With the Ducks Olen Zellweger In the penalty area, Dubois, on the right wing, centralized a pass to Adrian Kempe, who was unable to control it. The puck bounced to Viktor Arvidsson, whose shot was deflected to Dubois, who lifted it over the Ducks goaltender. Lucas Dostal for his 16th goal of the season.

Roy doubled the lead nine minutes later, beating Dostal cleanly with a right-handed rocket from the blue line for his fifth goal.

Zegras cut the lead in half with a wrister from the left circle to the other end late in the third period, his sixth goal of the season and second in five days against the Kings, but Fiala matched that with a wraparound goal six minutes later. It was his fourth against the Ducks this season.

David Rittich, starting in goal for the third time in more than three weeks, turned away 28 shots.

The Kings, who have won three of four games against the Ducks this season, will open the playoffs next week, likely traveling to Edmonton to face the Oilers for the third time in as many years.

“Everyone follows the classification every day. So we are familiar with everything,” Roy said. “Even though we won, every game is still important. We still want to climb the rankings and continue to elevate our game so that when the playoffs come around, we’re ready to go.

“All the teams are very good, so I think we are ready for anyone. We know we’ll be on the road, so it is what it is. We are ready to move forward.”

The Kings played Saturday without forward Anze Kopitar, who also missed the morning skate due to what the team called a minor injury. The game was only the second Kopitar has missed in the last three seasons.

Dubois centered the Kings’ top line in Kopitar’s absence.

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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.