LOS ANGELES –– The Kings got three goals from one defensive pairing, including two own-goals by their opponents, in their 3-2 win over Utah HC on Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.
Two of those goals belonged to an unlikely owner. Joel Edmundson not only had never produced a two-goal game, but had never even scored twice in two matches during his 10-year career. His partner Brandt Clarke also tallied while matching Adrian Kempe’s game-high total of two assists. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper (lower-body) returned for his first start since Oct. 14, earning a win and halting 23 shots.
Utah captain Clayton Keller and 2022’s third overall pick Logan Cooley each scored a goal in support of Connor Ingram, who made 20 saves.
With the victory, the Kings overtook Calgary for first place in the Pacific Division and tied those same Flames for most goals from the blue line by way of their fifth, sixth and seventh goals by defensemen this season.
Meanwhile, Kevin Fiala, who had more points than any other King over the past two campaigns and an assist Saturday, found himself benched for the final 27 minutes of the game.
Down one offensive star, they were able to lean on Edmundson, who was asked when he last scored two goals in a game.
“Probably in Pee-Wee. I have no idea. It’s been a while,” Edmundson said with a smile.
The Kings twice went up by two but Utah halved that deficit each time, setting up a white-knuckled finish.
Late in the game, Utah hemmed the Kings in their zone five-on-five but did less with their goalie pulled, conserving a one-goal edge for the Kings at the final horn.
With 10:13 to play, Utah defenseman Michael Kesselring whipped a sharp-angle bid toward the net that was redirected by Cooley before going in off of Edmundson’s skate, making it a one-goal game.
Edmundson had put the Kings back up by two, just 69 seconds into the frame. After his initial attempt off a faceoff win was blocked, he got the puck back for another shot attempt. His heave into traffic hit the leg of Kesselring before glancing off Ingram and into the net, the visitors’ second own-goal of the afternoon.
While Edmundson was acquired to kill penalties, clear the goal crease and, by his own description, be a “safety valve” for the offensively adventurous Clarke, he added offensive dynamo to his résumé, at least for one afternoon.
“We brought him in for a lot of reasons, and if he wants to do that, we’ll take that, too,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said.
The Kings established a 2-0 lead in the second period but, as was the case a game earlier against San Jose, an untimely offensive-zone penalty by Fiala cut their edge to one goal.
Just 34 seconds after the Kings took a 2-0 lead, Fiala took his second offensive-zone penalty of the game. He was just exiting the box as Keller made the Kings pay a second after Fiala’s penalty expired. Keller and Mikhail Sergachev played pitch-and-catch high in the zone, culminating in Keller’s one-timer from the right circle becoming his fifth goal of the season.
This time, Fiala’s error stapled him to the bench for the remainder of the contest.
“We played extremely hard, we checked extremely hard, and that’s more important than Kevin,” Hiller said.
He later added: “We’re taking too many penalties. When they show up more than once or twice or three times, a coach has to do something.”
The Kings had opened up a 2-0 advantage off goals by defensive partners, the first of the season for Clarke and the first as a King for Edmundson, at the 7:51 and 13:10 marks, respectively.
Edmundson, who signed as a free agent over the summer, crept down from the left point just as Anže Kopitar outbattled Robert Bortuzzo for a Kempe shot attempt that fizzed out well short of the net. Kopitar found Edmundson at the opposite post for a tap-in goal.
The Kings’ first goal came with the man advantage. After letting 17 power-play opportunities fall by the wayside across seven games, the Kings were smiled upon by the hockey gods 7:51 into the second period. Clarke flung a wrist shot toward the net that hit the stick of Sergachev squarely on its CCM logo, creating a deflection that became an own-goal by Sergachev credited to Clarke.
“I was actually shooting for (Alex Laferriere’s) stick, instead Sergachev got his stick in front, then it got tipped and went top shelf, so I’ll take that, too,” said Clarke, who now has seven points in nine games.
The two sides were deadlocked at the first intermission after a period that featured two penalties for each club, including Fiala’s offensive-zone infraction that negated a power play after just eight seconds. While the visitors had an analytical advantage in most areas, the best chances of the period belonged to the Kings.
Hiller was asked if he had any concern about the Kings’ inability to create separation or inspire total confidence despite their strong 5-2-2 record.
“I’m not going to critique the win that hard. It’s a hard league to win in,” Hiller said.