The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 on Wednesday to force a seventh game in the NHL Western Conference semi-final series.
Winger Trevor Lewis and defenseman Jake Muzzin scored goals, while goaltender Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings to set up Game 7 today at Anaheim’s Honda Center.
The Kings will be navigating familiar territory, a road Game 7, the same challenge they faced in their first-round series against San Jose.
Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY
Los Angeles rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to beat the Sharks and advance to the matchup against the Ducks.
“This Game 7 is probably harder than the last one,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We’ll be a big underdog going against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.”
The Kings have been a team of streaks throughout the playoffs, losing three straight, winning six in a row, then dropping three before Wednesday’s victory.
They will need to earn a third road win in the series if they are to advance to face the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.
The Ducks face a Game 7 at Honda Center for a second consecutive season. As the West’s second seed last year, the Ducks lost the deciding game in the first round against the seventh-seeded Detroit Red Wings.
Anaheim, the Pacific Division’s regular-season champions, face the prospect of being eliminated again at home by a lower-seeded team. The Kings are battle-tested and they are just two years removed from winning the Stanley Cup.
“They’ve been in this situation before,” Ducks right-winger Kyle Palmieri said of the Kings.
“Their goalie made some big saves and we are going to have to give a full 60 minutes’ effort on Friday,” he added.
The Kings rode to the top on Wednesday thanks to defenseman Jake Muzzin’s third goal of the playoffs at 8 minutes, 18 seconds of the first period.
Muzzin, breaking down the slot, took a backhand pass from Kopitar and shoveled the puck past Anaheim goaltender John Gibson. Winger Marian Gaborik drew the secondary assist.
The Kings doubled the lead on Lewis’ fourth goal of the playoffs at 14:04 of the middle period before the Ducks narrowed the margin to one on Palmieri’s goal just a minute and a half later.
The Ducks had an opportunity to even the game on a power play with less than seven minutes to go in the final period, but Quick made a glove save on a wrist shot by defenseman Cam Fowler.
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