Los Angeles Kings Triumph Over St. Louis Blues
In an exhilarating matchup, the Los Angeles Kings edged out the St. Louis Blues 5-4 in a thrilling shootout on Saturday evening. Trevor Moore, who recently returned from an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury, made an impressive impact by scoring both a crucial regulation goal and the decisive shootout goal.
Key Contributions and Performance
The Kings’ victory featured additional contributions from Alex Laferriere, Taylor Ward, and Brian Dumoulin, with Darcy Kuemper standing tall in goal and recording 25 saves. This win marks the fifth consecutive game the Kings have avoided regulation losses, continually building their momentum as the season progresses.
On the other side, the Blues struggled, experiencing their first four-game losing streak since the beginning of the season. Jordan Kyrou was a standout for St. Louis, netting two goals, while Brayden Schenn and Dalibor Dvorsky each added one. Goalie Joel Hofer made 24 saves in his efforts to keep the game competitive.
Decisive Moments
Moore’s pivotal moment came in the shootout’s fourth round, where he successfully converted his attempt, setting the stage for Kuemper to halt Jimmy Snuggerud‘s bid to tie.
The Kings’ triumph improved their overall record in shootouts and overtime to 8-13 this season.
Match Highlights
The match was tightly contested. Kyrou initially brought the Blues level twice, scoring his second goal with 2:10 left in regulation to tie the game 4-4 after Hofer was pulled for an extra attacker. Just over halfway through the third period, Moore took advantage of a rebound, scoring his sixth goal of the season after Brandt Clarke’s shot—a play that was upheld after a Blues offside challenge.
Laferriere ignited the scoring in the second period, equalizing just 1:32 after Kyrou had put the Blues ahead 3-2 with a wraparound effort. Earlier in the same period, Schenn had connected on a power play to even the score at two, after Dumoulin had opened the scoring for the Kings shortly after the second period commenced.
Despite the inclement weather, the Blues drew a crowd of 6,848 fans to the game, which took place under a winter storm warning.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the Kings will face off against Columbus on Monday night, while the Blues prepare to host Dallas on Tuesday night.
