While the Kraken missed out on the playoffs for a third straight year as of last week, the LA Kings finally advanced for a fifth straight year with Monday night’s 5-3 victory in Seattle.
It wasn’t easy, although early on it looked like it might be. Young Los Angeles winger Quinton Byfield scored twice in the first period; his first goal on a 2-on-1 rush at 2:43 and his second on a breakaway at 13:19. Both goals came off puck flubs by Seattle following face-offs at the other end of the ice.
The Kings extended their lead to 3-0 in the second period on a goal by Trevor Moore following a neutral zone turnover. The Byfield, Moore, Alex Laferriere line ended up scoring four of LA’s five goals.
Seattle made things interesting in the 3rd period. D-man Adam Larsson put the home team on the board with a wrist shot through traffic at 1:53. Freddie Gaudreau scored off a tenacious Kraken forecheck, finishing a perfect cross-crease pass from Kaapo Kakko at the left post.
The Kings were sweating a bit just 8:08 into the period, needing the win to secure the postseason.
Insurance came in the form of Adrian Kempe’s 35th goal of the season at 12:29. He finished off another LA odd-man rush by converting a pass from captain Anze Kopitar.
Kraken winger Bobby McMann scored at 17:33 to make things tight again, but a Laferriere empty-netter finished things off and sent the Kings to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Their closest wild card pursuers, the Nashville Predators, lost earlier in the evening 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks.
Seattle goalie Nikke Kokko picked up his first NHL loss just two nights after winning his first ever start.
Seattle slipped to one game below NHL .500 with two games remaining.
Earlier Kraken:
— Will Kraken Make Lambert Latest One-and-Done?
