#LAKings Kings beat Blues in Joonas Korpisalos debut (Daily News)
LOS ANGELES The third lead was the charm for the Kings, who built edges of 1-0 and 2-1, before ultimately winning 4-2 over the St. Louis Blues at Crypto.com Arena Saturday night.
Wingers Carl Grundstrom, Adrian Kempe, Gabe Vilardi and Kevin Fiala lit the lamp for the Kings. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves and earned a win in his Kings debut after being acquired earlier this week via trade.
Wingers Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen scored goals for St. Louis. Jordan Binnington stopped 33 of 36 shots in defeat.
As they were against Montreal Thursday, the Kings were undaunted by a late six-on-five effort from St. Louis, icing the victory with Fialas empty-net with 1:56 to play.
Before that, the Kings power play converted for the first time, on its third opportunity of the night. Vilardi nearly set up an Anze Kopitar tap-in with some nifty hands in tight, and then flashed a ridiculous move to pot the game-winner. His fake on the doorstep discombobulated Binnington, pulling him to one post and allowing Vilardi to deposit the puck inside the other.
Earlier, a power play afforded the Kings a chance to put the game away but instead they swung the door wide open for St. Louis by allowing a shorthanded goal. Defenseman Sean Durzis giveaway to winger Brandon Saad became a short pass to the wrong guy to serve up a breakaway, the lightning-footed Kapanen. He darted in on goal and popped a shot above Korpisalos glove for his second goal in three games since being claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Soon after the goal, forward Quinton Byfield exited the game after an awkward fall that sent him to the ice unnaturally and appeared to jar his neck.
After trading runs of possession, the Kings began to separate themselves, hitting the net 16 times to the Blues 7 in the second period. The Kings emerged with a one-goal lead to show for it, too.
With 7:10 left in the stanza, it was a new addition, a prime player and a future star connecting on the go-ahead goal. Vladislav Gavrikov broke up a play before Byfield recovered the puck before sending a stretch pass aloft from his own blue line all the way to the top of the left faceoff circle. Kempe skated it into the feed and fired the puck to the short side for his team-topping 29th goal of 2022-23.
St. Louis had equalized and sullied Korpisalos spotless save percentage as a King when Thomas popped in a rebound from the low slot for his 15th goal of the campaign.
With just under seven minutes left in the first period, St. Louis leading scorer Jordan Kyrou let fly with a shot that hit the post, caromed off Korpisalos skate and then teetered on the goal line before being cleared to safety by Grundstrom. The hockey gods evened out that break when soon after when a Kings two-on-one fell by the wayside because center Blake Lizottes finishing attempt hit the post, glanced off Binnington and strayed wide.
The Kings had ignited the game with five unanswered shots on goal, the fifth of which opened the scoring just 3:14 into the match. Grundstrom was the first Kings player to touch the puck on the forecheck and then the last to make contact with it as he tipped defenseman Matt Roys shot home. It was Grundstroms seventh goal of the season but his first since Dec. 1, as injuries and lineup decisions have limited him to just four games.
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/03/04...pisalos-debut/
Wingers Carl Grundstrom, Adrian Kempe, Gabe Vilardi and Kevin Fiala lit the lamp for the Kings. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves and earned a win in his Kings debut after being acquired earlier this week via trade.
Wingers Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen scored goals for St. Louis. Jordan Binnington stopped 33 of 36 shots in defeat.
As they were against Montreal Thursday, the Kings were undaunted by a late six-on-five effort from St. Louis, icing the victory with Fialas empty-net with 1:56 to play.
Before that, the Kings power play converted for the first time, on its third opportunity of the night. Vilardi nearly set up an Anze Kopitar tap-in with some nifty hands in tight, and then flashed a ridiculous move to pot the game-winner. His fake on the doorstep discombobulated Binnington, pulling him to one post and allowing Vilardi to deposit the puck inside the other.
Earlier, a power play afforded the Kings a chance to put the game away but instead they swung the door wide open for St. Louis by allowing a shorthanded goal. Defenseman Sean Durzis giveaway to winger Brandon Saad became a short pass to the wrong guy to serve up a breakaway, the lightning-footed Kapanen. He darted in on goal and popped a shot above Korpisalos glove for his second goal in three games since being claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Soon after the goal, forward Quinton Byfield exited the game after an awkward fall that sent him to the ice unnaturally and appeared to jar his neck.
After trading runs of possession, the Kings began to separate themselves, hitting the net 16 times to the Blues 7 in the second period. The Kings emerged with a one-goal lead to show for it, too.
With 7:10 left in the stanza, it was a new addition, a prime player and a future star connecting on the go-ahead goal. Vladislav Gavrikov broke up a play before Byfield recovered the puck before sending a stretch pass aloft from his own blue line all the way to the top of the left faceoff circle. Kempe skated it into the feed and fired the puck to the short side for his team-topping 29th goal of 2022-23.
St. Louis had equalized and sullied Korpisalos spotless save percentage as a King when Thomas popped in a rebound from the low slot for his 15th goal of the campaign.
With just under seven minutes left in the first period, St. Louis leading scorer Jordan Kyrou let fly with a shot that hit the post, caromed off Korpisalos skate and then teetered on the goal line before being cleared to safety by Grundstrom. The hockey gods evened out that break when soon after when a Kings two-on-one fell by the wayside because center Blake Lizottes finishing attempt hit the post, glanced off Binnington and strayed wide.
The Kings had ignited the game with five unanswered shots on goal, the fifth of which opened the scoring just 3:14 into the match. Grundstrom was the first Kings player to touch the puck on the forecheck and then the last to make contact with it as he tipped defenseman Matt Roys shot home. It was Grundstroms seventh goal of the season but his first since Dec. 1, as injuries and lineup decisions have limited him to just four games.
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/03/04...pisalos-debut/