After taking at least a decent nibble out of the Big Apple, the Kings strolled to the Steel City for Tuesday’s engagement with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They earned four of a possible six points during their jaunt through the New York metro area in the first three dates of their seven-game road trip. Most recently, they pummeled the Rangers with two early goals and then three in a span of just over two minutes in the second period of Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing (those were their fastest three goals in nearly three years, per NHL PR, with their last such outburst coming against Pittsburgh).
Though they didn’t see former Kings icon Jonathan Quick initially, they did after they forced Rangers coach Peter Laviolette to give the hook to the biggest-ticket goalie in NHL history, Igor Shesterkin.
Alex Turcotte, who got the scoring going and was one of five Kings to turn in a two-point effort, remarked that on his goal all five players touched the puck. His was one of two highly productive lines –– he joined mantle-carriers Anže Kopitar and Adrian Kempe to form the Kings’ top trio –– as the Kings lit up Madison Square Garden.
“I thought he was really good. I thought he was one of the stars of the game for us,” Kings coach Jim Hiller told reporters.
The blend of Quinton Byfield, Warren Foegele and Tanner Jeannot matched the first line’s total with two goals after they expressed disappointment with their performance in a loss to New Jersey (just the Kings’ second in their past 10 games) one match earlier. Hiller described them as going from “flat” to “flying.”
Byfield, who signed a five-year, $31.25 million contract extension after compiling 20 goals and 55 points last season, was on pace for a paltry 31 points in 2024-25 entering the Rangers game. His second multi-point showing of the campaign boosted his pace to 35. Last season, he played in all three forward slots across various lines, but this year he was to center –– and carry –– his own line. That’s happened only intermittently thus far, with Saturday presenting a salient example.
“I’ve got full confidence that he’s a full-time center. He does a lot of things away from the puck. He’s a penalty-killer, he plays good in the ‘D’ zone,” Hiller said. “Of course, he wants to score more and we’d like him to score, but he doesn’t get just paid to score, he does a lot of other things.”
A couple other scorers who’ve been hit-and-miss and missing completely, respectively, could be nearing returns. Trevor Moore, who led the Kings in goals last season but has just six this year, did not practice Monday per Kings blogger Zach Dooley. He remained a possibility on this enduring road trip, but should be considered doubtful for Tuesday.
Arthur Kaliyev, who went from potent shooter to persona non grata last season, began his conditioning loan in the minors on Sunday. He had an assist and converted on his shootout attempt in a 5-4 victory for the Ontario Reign.
Akil Thomas seemed likely to draw in again after picking up an assist Saturday against the Rangers, his first point since Nov. 9 in his first game since Nov. 25.
While the Rangers started the season with five victories during a six-game points streak before plummeting in the standings –– their loss to the Kings was their ninth in 12 games and they dropped yet another decision in St. Louis on Sunday –– the Penguins have had the opposite experience.
Pittsburgh started the year by winning just three of its first 11 games, ceding 48 goals in the process. Yet they’ve gone 6-2-1 in their past nine games. Though Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who have played nearly 2,500 combined NHL games, still pace the team in scoring, it’s been difficult to overcome substandard defense and goaltending.
Starter Tristan Jarry, a protégé of Kings goalie Mike Buckley, has failed to stop the first shot of a game five times in 13 starts. More often than not, he’s allowed a goal in the first five shots he’s faced in a game. The Kings head into the match tied for the third fewest first-period goals in the NHL, but have scored in the opening 20 minutes in each of their past four contests.