LOS ANGELES — The Kings oh-so-narrowly avoided a matchup with the NHL’s second-best team by reaching overtime against its second-worst as they prevailed, 5-4, against the Chicago Blackhawks in Thursday night’s regular-season finale at Crypto.com Arena.
About four hours to the northeast of Chick Hearn Court, the rival Ducks did their part to aid the Kings’ modest last-second ascent in the standings, beating the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights, 4-1. Vegas had gone 14-6-2 against the other seven playoff teams in the Western Conference – the Kings posted an 8-12-3 mark – but lost three of four matchups with the rebuilding Ducks, all by multiple goals. The Ducks finished one spot ahead of Chicago in the final standings.
Vegas’ loss meant the Kings needed just one point to reach third place in the Pacific Division and head to Edmonton to start the playoffs against the Oilers for a third straight season, with Game 1 slated for Monday night. Had they lost in regulation, they would have faced the Dallas Stars.
They got two points when Adrian Kempe rifled in his 28th goal of the season from the right faceoff dot, unassisted, just six seconds into overtime.
He and the Kings’ offense bailed out Cam Talbot on a night when he allowed four goals on a meager 13 shots. Kempe added an assist to match the contributions of Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore. Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault each had three-point nights, with Arvidsson scoring twice in another huge game for a veteran who missed 63 games this season with injuries.
Ryan Donato had a goal and an assist for Chicago, which scored three goals in the third period to take a lead. Joey Anderson, Tyler Johnson and Lukas Reichel also scored. Arvid Söderblom made 30 saves.
Captain Anze Kopitar said the playoffs were a “blank page and it’s time to start writing on it,” even though the story the Kings have authored throughout the season has been a turbulent one.
“We’ve lost to some teams that we shouldn’t have lost to,” Byfield said. “Those ones are tough, but we’ve got a great leadership group in here with a lot of playoff experience.”
Kempe’s individual effort built on the late power-play goal from Arvidsson, who popped into the slot to receive the puck from Byfield, who earned his second $212,500 contract bonus of the night for his 35th assist as Arvidsson fired the puck through his countryman Söderblom with 1:21 left for his sixth goal of 2023-24.
Byfield will be expected to share that wealth.
“I don’t think he’s getting away with just a couple [dinners]. We’ll make sure it’s a nice team meal, and then some,” Kopitar said.
The 21-year-old Byfield was well aware.
“The goal and the assist tonight are definitely going to cost me a lot,” Byfield said with a smirk as an unidentified voice from the changing room shouted “cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching!”
That smirk was nearly a frown, as the Kings blew a two-goal lead to trail 4-3. A mere 88 seconds into the third period, Chicago halved its deficit and just 2:14 later they erased it completely before taking their second lead of the night at the 6:28 mark.
Forecheck pressure from Jaycob Megna won the puck back for Chicago before MacKenzie Entwhistle chucked it toward the net front, where it was deflected home by Donato.
Landon Slaggert pestered Kopitar into a turnover, then moved the puck ahead to Anderson, the sibling of the Kings’ Mikey Anderson. He showed no brotherly love as he went forehand to backhand to slip the puck past Talbot.
The Blackhawks got the ball rolling in the final period on the power play. With all four Kings penalty killers on the left side of the ice, a simple reversal to Johnson near the right point allowed him to glide forward into the faceoff circle for a shot inside the far post.
After heading into the first intermission trailing, the Kings stacked up three second-period goals to tilt the game in their favor.
Moore stretched the lead to 3-1 with 2:36 left after Jarred Tinordi fell in a heap and into a heap of trouble behind his own net. Danault pounced, moving the puck quickly in front to Arvidsson, who sent it across to Moore for his team-leading 31st goal of the season.
The Kings got their first lead of the night and Byfield got his first point in 10 games and his first goal in 20. It was one that earned him a big bonus to boot, since it was his 20th of the season. During a power play, Danault heaved the puck from the outside of the left circle to the far post, where Byfield had position on Seth Jones for a redirection marker 16:04 into the frame.
Chicago appeared to reclaim the lead with 7:45 showing on the clock but Jason Dickinson’s would-be short-handed goal was nullified on review after it was determined he redirected the puck with a distinct kicking motion. That and the untimely delay of game penalty by Philipp Kurashev that led to Arvidsson’s second goal were pivotal moments.
The Kings drew even 4:37 into the second period. Moore turned the puck in from the offensive blue line down below the goal line, where Danault skated it down after knocking the stick out of Dickinson’s hands. Danault circled the back of the net and weaved into the slot, where he found Arvidsson for a one-timer below the left faceoff dot that hit Söderblom before squeaking through him. It was the Swede-on-Swede crime for the fifth goal of Arvidsson’s injury-plagued campaign.
“He is a game-breaker. He’s shown that in the past, not just with us but with Nashville, too,” Kopitar said. “So it’s good to have him going into the playoffs in good form.”
After mounting an 11-3 advantage in shots on goal, the Kings gave up the evening’s first score just the same when lead feet turned into flat ones for the uncommon defensive pairing of Andreas Englund and Jacob Moverare. The Kings won a faceoff but bobbled the puck, at which point Reichel darted ahead, lobbed the puck between the two lumbering defenders and split them to dart off on a breakaway that he finished with a bit of hesitation before putting the puck away off his backhand.
Kings interim coach Jim Hiller would not commit to a Game 1 starting goalie nor say if he would align the group with 12 forwards and six defensemen or 11 and seven, nor did the Kings know for sure when they would skate in the coming days ahead of what was likely a Sunday flight to Edmonton.
ARVY TIES IT UP@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/6MjvcU78kP
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
JUST LIKE THAT JUICE CALLS GAME@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/HIn1zfvBQW
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
Coach Hiller gives final thoughts @LAKings I #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/m7maZObYrb
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
Qb discusses the win and playoffs @LAKings I #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/SLf8EOts25
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
Kopi speaks with the media following the win@LAKings I #LAKingsLive pic.twitter.com/al7LB2ZKpP
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
ARVY TIES IT UP@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/C8rwJbKizN
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
QB GIVES LA THE LEAD ON THE POWERPLAY@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/XeGPxMsBUm
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024
MOORE GOALS IN THE SECOND@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/3eHMIQgtwG
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 19, 2024