LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Fiala scored two of Los Angeles' three power-play goals, and captain Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist apiece in the Kings' 6-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
Alex Laferriere and Jordan Spence also scored for the playoff-bound Kings, who have won five of six after dominating the final Freeway Faceoff of the season.
Second-place Los Angeles is four points ahead of third-place Edmonton with four games left in the race for home ice in what will probably be the fourth consecutive first-round meeting for the Pacific Division clubs.
Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe had three assists apiece, and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves.
Cutter Gauthier scored his fifth goal in three games for the Ducks, who are wrapping up their seventh consecutive non-playoff season, the longest drought in either Southern California team's history. Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots.
Byfield scored his 21st goal just 84 seconds after the opening faceoff.
Gauthier got the 20th goal of his promising rookie season early in the second, but Kopitar put Los Angeles back ahead three minutes later with his own 20th goal.
TakeawaysDucks: Gauthier and Carlsson have been a formidable duo late in another lost Ducks season: The 20-year-old Carlsson set up four of the 21-year-old Gauthier’s five goals in his current surge.
Kings: Anaheim is a poor penalty-killing team, but LA's normally dismal power play — which began the night in a four-game, 0-for-9 drought — hadn't scored thrice in a game since Oct. 14.
Key momentKopitar scored 31 seconds after Gauthier's goal, reaching 20 goals for the 14th time in his career.
Key statFiala has 32 goals after his sixth multi-goal game of the season. Kempe has 33 goals for Los Angeles, which hadn't had two 30-goal scorers since 2008.
Up nextThe Avalanche visit the Kings on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday.
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