SEATTLE — In a tight, low-scoring game that bore little resemblance to the last time the teams met, the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken 3-1 on Saturday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
Kraken goaltender Martin Jones made back-to-back starts, a rare occurrence in the past two months. He made 16 saves and was far less busy than he was in a 9-8 overtime win in Los Angeles on Nov. 29.
After L.A. went up 2-0, a power-play goal got the Kraken back within one. The Kings’ Blake Lizotte didn’t agree with the call of hooking on Jared McCann. But his stick was tangled in McCann’s skates when the Kraken goals leader got twisted up and fell, and that was compelling enough for the official’s arm to shoot up.
Daniel Sprong’s initial shot landed in the crease. Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov dived after the puck and tried to push it up the middle, but got it shoved right back past him and into the net by Seattle’s Oliver Bjorkstrand.
The shots were even at six after the first. The biggest cheers from the home crowd were for Will Borgen’s punishing hit near the penalty boxes and a glove snag from Jones.
The shot count was still even at 14 after the second, when the Kings kept all of the Kraken’s looks to the outside.
Eeli Tolvanen had two of the better Seattle chances before Bjorkstrand scored. He went high and wide on an early power play and had a clean breakaway up the middle with about two minutes gone in the third period.
On the first Kings goal more than halfway through the game, Jones slid forward, square to shooter Alex Iafallo. But the puck went off McCann and straight to L.A.’s Sean Durzi at the side of the net. He had a wide-open look.
About five minutes into the third, the Kings’ Carl Grundstrom picked the pocket of Brandon Tanev, who was playing in his 400th career game. He turned it around quickly and put a shot in off the cross bar to make it 2-0.
Kevin Fiala contributed an empty netter. Pheonix Copley made 25 saves for Los Angeles.
