Russell Morgan 
Special teams carry the LA Kings to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night in Los Angeles.
Goal Breakdown
First period:
No goals
Second period:
LAK: Adrian Kempe SHG (27), ASST: Blake Lizotte (17)
Seven goals over the past three games for @adriankempe. 👑
Is that…good? pic.twitter.com/2DJnKM3k4K
— NHL (@NHL) February 14, 2023
LAK: Arthur Kaliyev PPG (10), ASST: Phillip Danault (23), Viktor Arvidsson (22)
LAK: Sean Walker (3), ASST: Phillip Danault (24), Viktor Arvidsson (23)
LAK: Matt Roy (7), ASST: Adrian Kempe (15), Quinton Byfield (9)
Third period:
LAK: Viktor Arvidsson (14), ASST: Phillip Danault (25), Sean Durzi (21)
BUF: Dylan Cozens (18), ASST: Victor Olofsson (8), Casey Mittelstadt (22)
BUF: Peyton Krebs (7), ASST: Victor Olofsson (9), Casey Mittelstadt (23)
Special teams power LA to a win
While 5v5 play wasn’t too kind to the LA Kings in last night’s win, special teams came through to provide another victory. Even with the late power-play goal for the Sabres, the Kings managed to go 2/3 on the man advantage while going 4/5 on the penalty kill and adding a shorthanded goal as well.
Since the turn of the new year, the LA Kings ranked sixth in penalty kill percentage at 85.1%, allowing seven power-play goals while scoring four shorthanded goals themselves for a -3 differential. A dramatic improvement from the early season woes and something that can give confidence to fans looking for a long playoff run.
Adrian Kempe feeling ‘juiced’
Adrian Kempe is on an absolute heater of late. Opening last night’s game with a shorthanded snipe, he scored the LA Kings’ last *five* goals. In the last three games, he has managed to tally seven goals. The last Kings player to accomplish that same feat was Luc Robitaille in 1993.
Since December 31, Kempe’s 14 goals are second in the NHL, one behind Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils. Juice’s $5.5M AAV contract is looking like a real bargain if he can consistently put up 35+ goal seasons with the Kings.
Quinton Byfield improving each game
There’s been a noticeable improvement in Quinton Byfield’s game since being placed on the first line alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Whether it’s the removal of the responsibilities given to the center ice position or the veteran presence next to him, Byfield is giving positive contributions with each shift. And the points are starting to come as well.
UP NEXT: The LA Kings have a three-day break before a back-to-back starting in Anaheim on Friday followed by Arizona on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Featured image credit: (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)