Andre Lee scored his first NHL goal, Darcy Kuemper posted his second shutout of the season, and the Los Angeles Kings blanked the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Wednesday for their third consecutive win.
Quinton Byfield also scored for the Kings, while Adrian Kempe sealed the game with an empty-net goal late in the third period. Kuemper turned aside 32 shots to secure the 33rd shutout of his career.
Byfield’s goal came at 11:01 of the third period, shortly after he exited the penalty box. The forward fired a wrist shot past Devils goaltender Jake Allen to make it 2-0. Byfield now has three goals and five points in his last three games.
Lee, a 24-year-old Swedish forward, opened the scoring 6:23 into the second period. He corralled a long pass from Jordan Spence, skated between two Devils defensemen, and beat Allen to the net. It marked a special moment for Lee, who was drafted in the seventh round in 2019 and finally found the back of the net in his 19th NHL game.
Allen made 21 saves for New Jersey, which suffered its third consecutive regulation loss.
Takeaways
Devils: The team is struggling midway through a six-game road trip. After dropping out of first place in the Eastern Conference, the Devils have been shut out six times this season.
Kings: Los Angeles extended its home winning streak to eight games and boasts a league-best .844 winning percentage at Crypto.com Arena, with a 13-2-1 record at home.
Key Moment
Timo Meier appeared to score the tying goal for New Jersey in the second period, but it was overturned following a successful goaltender interference challenge by Los Angeles. The officials ruled that Stefan Noesen had obstructed Kuemper in the crease before the goal.
Key Stat
Anze Kopitar, a two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner, took his first penalty of the season in the first period. He received a two-minute minor for holding Luke Hughes at 12:01.
Up Next
The Devils travel to San Jose on Saturday, while the Kings will host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
