SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore scored in a 44-second span early in the third period and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-2 on Thursday night for their third straight victory.
Fiala gave Los Angeles — second in the Pacific Division — a 2-1 lead at 4:06 with a snap shot for his 29th goal. Moore added his 18th at 4:50, beating Karel Vejmelka with a backhander.
Adrian Kempe scored his 33rd of the season for Los Angeles and Drew Doughty added an empty-netter. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves.
Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain scored for Utah.
Vejmelka made 15 saves in his 19th straight start. The streak is the longest by an NHL goalie since Kuemper started 22 in a row for Arizona in 2019.
Takeaways
Kings: Los Angeles plays five of its final seven games of the regular season at home as it tries to catch Vegas for the division lead.
Utah: Failed to build on consecutive victories in Chicago and at home against Calgary as its playoff hopes fade.
Key moment
Kuemper made 16 saves in the scoreless first period, while Vejmelka faced only three shots.
Key stat
The Kings won 55.7% of the faceoffs.
Up next
Both teams play Saturday. The Kings host Edmonton to open a four-game homestand. Utah hosts Winnipeg.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
The Associated Press
