LOS ANGELES, CA– Darcy Kuemper and the Kings held the Devils scoreless, 3-0.
For the second time this season, Darcy Kuemper recorded a 1.000 save percentage. The first time he did this was against the Predators on November 4th.
Kuemper only saved 16 shots against the Predators while he had 31 saves tonight. This results in Kuemper having his best performance of the season tonight against the Devils.
It was not only Kuemper who had a season best game, but journeyman Andre Lee had his best game of his NHL career.
After a scoreless first period, Lee scored his first ever goal in his NHL career. This gave the Kings an early 1-0.
“Got a lot of speed, and it was me and the goal,” said Andre Lee. “It was nice to see it get in.”
Although it may have been Lee’s first goal, it was significant for the Kings to take control of the game.
The Devils took control of the offensive pace early and seemed to dictate the flow. However, the goal from Lee shifted the momentum in the Kings’ favor.
The lead for the Kings meant that the Devils would have to find a chance of scoring. Kuemper was very dominant in this game where New Jersey lost their explosiveness on offense.
Los Angeles carried momentum into the final period where they scored two goals to put away New Jersey.
On both of the third period goals, Mikey Anderson recorded an assist. Anderson finished with two points from the assists.
Regardless of the defeat, Jake Allen still had a quality performance. Allen saved 21 of 23 shots and accumulated a .913 save percentage.
The Kings defense outperformed a New Jersey unit that allows the second-fewest goals in the NHL. This performance demonstrates that the Kings defense can stand out even against a top contender for the Stanley Cup.
Los Angeles must replicate this defensive performance against the Lightning on Saturday. The Kings will try to extend their winning streak to four straight games.
