Jeff Carter didn’t exactly hit the ground running with the Los Angeles Kings, but he and Mike Richards gelled on Saturday. Carter scored twice against Anaheim, and Richards assisted on both goals, in Los Angeles’ 4-2 victory.
Richards added a third assist on Anze Kopitar’s empty net goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation time. Dustin Brown also scored to extend his point streak to four games.
Anaheim got their two goals from unusual sources: Sheldon Brookbank and Devante Smith-Pelly. Meanwhile, the team’s leading goal scorer, Corey Perry, was limited to just one shot on goal.
Aside from the Ducks and Kings being natural rivals, this game had huge consequences for both clubs. For Anaheim, it made their chances of securing a playoffs seem all the more remote. On the flipside, the Kings managed to prevent the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars from building too big of a cushion between Los Angeles and the seventh and eighth seeds. These two points are big for the Kings as they get ready for a tough four-game road trip against Nashville, Columbus, Detroit, and Chicago.