Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele both scored twice and Andrei Kuzmenko scored once in a three-point outing as the host Los Angeles Kings handed the San Jose Sharks an 8-1 drubbing on Sunday.
Trevor Moore collected one goal and one assist, while Phillip Danault and Trevor Lewis added one goal apiece for the Kings (41-23-9, 91 points), who snapped a two-game skid and moved into second place in the Pacific Division.
Anze Kopitar collected three assists, Drew Doughty, Vladislav Gavrikov and Quinton Byfield each posted two helpers, and David Rittich made 22 saves as Los Angeles set a franchise record with its 27th home victory of the season.
Cam Lund replied for the Sharks (20-44-9, 49 points), who have lost four of their last six and are last in the league. Goalie Georgi Romanov stopped 28 shots.
Danault opened the scoring at the 5:35 mark, seconds after a Kings power play expired. Danault set up in the right circle and drilled a one-timer of a soft pass across the slot from Byfield.
Shortly after the Sharks failed to convert during a lengthy five-on-three power play – Macklin Celebrini came within a whisker with a shot that rang off the post – the Kings doubled the lead with a man-advantage marker. Kempe was untouched as he slipped into the slot and buried a feed from Kopitar for his 30th goal of the season.
Lund put the Sharks on the board at 4:52 of the second period, burying a rebound for his second goal in as many outings in his third career game.
However, Moore restored the Kings’ two-goal lead two minutes later, finishing a wide-open chance set up by Kopitar for an early 30th birthday present.
Then the rout was on. Foegele added another Los Angeles power-play goal at 13:31, banging home a rebound while he was parked at the crease.
He added his second of the game with 55.3 seconds remaining in the middle frame, deflecting a point shot for his 22nd goal of the season.
Kempe made it a 6-1 score by finishing a three-way passing play with 21.7 seconds left in the period.
Kuzmenko and Lewis scored 33 seconds apart late in the third period as the Kings set a season-high for goals in a game.
–Field Level Media
