Kevin Fiala scored two third-period goals, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-3 win against the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Vladislav Gavrikov and Warren Foegele each had a goal and an assist, Quinton Byfield notched three assists and Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves for the Kings, who have won two in a row following a season-worst four-game skid (0-3-1).
Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke and Trevor Moore also scored.
Defenseman Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier and Logan Mailloux scored and Jakub Dobes made 31 saves for the Canadiens, who have dropped six of seven (1-5-1).
Early on, Byfield made a backhand pass from behind the Montreal net to Gavrikov above the left circle. Gavrikov’s one-timer sailed through traffic and hit the net for a 1-0 lead at 1:39 of the first period.
Montreal tied it 1-1 at 3:51 of the second.
Matheson took a wrist shot from the right point that hit Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty in the lower back and then bounced off the top of Kuemper’s mask before continuing across the goal line.
Foegele was awarded a penalty shot at 5:23 of the second period when he was dragged down on a breakaway by Mailloux, who was playing in his seventh NHL game and first since Oct. 29.
Foegele skated in on Kuemper before banking a shot off the inside of his arm and across the goal line for a 2-1 lead.
It was the first penalty-shot goal by a Los Angeles player since Austin Wagner had one on Feb. 22, 2020.
Clarke scored 15 seconds into the third period on a one-timer from the right point that cut through traffic, stretching the lead to 3-1.
Carrier answered with a wrist shot from the right point to cut it to 3-2 at 3:37.
Fiala scored on a one-timer from the right circle off a feed from Alex Laferriere to finish a rush and make it 4-2 at 10:46.
The Canadiens got back within one on a one-timer by Mailloux from the right circle at 13:37, but Fiala responded with a one-timer off the rush from the right circle to make it 5-3 at 14:12.
Moore scored the Kings’ fourth goal of the third period into an empty net with 2:30 left.
–Field Level Media
