Kings dominate Devils to win eight of past 12
Danault had a hat trick, Fiala two goals for L.A.
Phillip Danault had a hat trick, Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists, and the host Los Angeles Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils, 5-1, on Sunday.
Alex Laferriere also scored, Cam Talbot made 30 saves, and the Kings have won eight of 12 under interim coach Jim Hiller.
“Obviously, we’re playing way better now,” Fiala said. “Had a two or three month slump or whatever, and we have been playing better after the All-Star break. ... We are playing for each other, we love each other, and you can really feel it right now.”
Nico Daws was replaced in the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots for the Devils, who have lost five of seven. Timo Meier scored, and Akira Schmid made nine saves in relief.
Other games Coyotes 5, Capitals 2:
Washington lost to visiting Arizona in a potentially decisive defeat for their playoff hopes. The Capitals are six points out with less than a week to go before the NHL trade deadline Friday. The disappointing performance was a letdown after Washington’s emotional victory at home against division-rival Philadelphia.
Wild 4, Sharks 3: Kirill Kaprizov posted his second hat trick in less than two weeks, scoring the go-ahead goal with 3:59 left to lift host Minnesota past San Jose. Frederick Gaudreau also scored for the Wild, who outshot the Sharks, 32-15, and stopped a three-game losing streak.
Jets 5, Sabres 2: Morgan Barron scored the tiebreaking goal on a partial breakaway with 6:05 remaining and visiting Winnipeg defeated the Buffalo for its ninth victory in 11 games. Vladislav Namestnikov and Sean Monahan sealed the win with empty-net goals over the final 81 seconds, and the Jets rallied from a third-period deficit for the second consecutive night.
Canucks 2, Ducks 1: Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland scored a goal each as Vancouver beat host Anaheim as the Canucks have won their second game in eight tries. Casey DeSmith saved 17 shots on the night.
Notes
The New York Rangers agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension with veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick that’s worth $1.275 million for the 2024-25 NHL season.
• Longtime Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov cleared waivers after not being claimed by any of the NHL’s other 31 teams and has been assigned to Hershey of the American Hockey League.