The Los Angeles Kings (14-8-7) traveled to Salt Lake City on Monday night to take on the Utah Mammoth (14-14-3). Darcy Kuemper guarded his net while the Czech Karel Vejmelka stood right in front of the Mammoth. The Kings triumphed in victory, earning two points as they traveled to the Kraken in Seattle for their next matchup on Wednesday, December 10.
Kings lead 2-0
The Kings dominated the first period, with Alex Laferriere’s huge hit on Utah’s Nate Schmidt. Los Angeles took chance after chance with shots, but Utah goalkeeper Vejmelka held firm as he denied any chance to score. The Kings briefly relinquished their momentum when Warren Foegele was called for the first penalty of the period. Kuemper made several brilliant saves, preventing the Mammoth from capitalizing on the opportunity.
The Kings’ relentless pressure paid off around the 12:10 mark when veteran Adrian Kempe scored his tenth goal of the season with a backhand shot. Two minutes later, at 9:52, Joel Armia followed with an incredible snap shot to put the Kings up 2-0. Visibly frustrated with LA’s momentum, the Utah players delivered more aggressive hits on the Kings in the remaining minutes until the period expired. The Kings headed back to the locker room under control, with a two-goal lead, as the Mammoth regrouped to try to get on the board.
Utah tries to capture it, but without success
The second period started with a bang for the Mammoth, as Dylan Guenther took an immediate shot to give Utah’s first goal of the game just seconds into 20 minutes of play. The Kings then made the mistake when they took an early penalty, with Kempe heading into the penalty area. That mistake alone gave Mammoth the opportunity to retaliate and even the score.
Vejmelka remained sharp and quick with his impressive saves, while spurning scoring opportunities from both Drew Doughty and Alex Turcotte. Although the Kings tried to squeeze in another goal, they had no luck. The period ended with Los Angeles holding onto its 2-1 lead, ready for whatever the third period would bring.
Kings closes it out 4-2
The final frame witnessed the Kings in harmony with control of the puck and the neutral zone. At 4:33 PM, captain Anže Kopitar regained the two-goal lead to make the score 3–1. Los Angeles seemed to be completely dialed in, while Utah was backed into a corner. Despite Kuemper’s impressive play, the Mammoth found a way into the goalkeeper’s net at 7:45. Clayton Keller scored his tenth of the season as he closed the gap to 3-2. This led Utah to a renewed sense of energy, with the Mammoth scoring several hits, including Nick Schmaltz on Laferriere and Brandon Tanev on Cody Ceci.
However, the Kings responded back and maintained their composure under pressure. With less than two minutes remaining of the final frame, Armia sealed the deal when he scored his second goal of the night to seal the victory for the Kings, along with two points for their first win of the December road trip. The team was sent to their next road trip city, excited as the famous “Moms’ Trip” continued.
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