Adrian Kempe scored twice as the host Los Angeles Kings scored five unanswered goals en route to a 5–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, Dec. 27.
It was the 23rd multiple-goal game of Kempe’s career and his first of the season. Kevin Fiala, Trevor Lewis and Pierre-Luc Dubois also scored goals for Los Angeles, which earned its second straight victory and won for the fourth time in five games.
David Rittich finished with 24 saves for the Kings.
Fabian Zetterlund scored for San Jose, which lost its sixth straight game.
Kaapo Kahkonen made 38 saves as the Sharks fell to 3–15–1 on the road.
San Jose took a 1–0 lead at the 11:02 mark of the first period on a breakaway goal by Zetterlund.
He stole a Fiala pass at the offensive blue line and then broke in and fired a wrist shot past Rittich’s blocker side for his 10th goal of the season.
Fiala, who didn’t play the final 8:58 of the first period after his miscue, made up for gaffe early in the second period.
He stole the puck and scored on a breakaway to tie it 1–1 at 2:57 with his first goal in 13 games.
The Kings took a 2–1 lead just 13 seconds later. Lewis stole the puck by the right side of the net and slid a backhand shot past Kahkonen and inside the far post for his fifth goal.
Los Angeles made it 3–1 at the 12:26 mark of the middle period. Dubois shoveled in a sharp-angle rebound of an Arthur Kaliyev shot from the bottom of the left circle for his seventh goal of the season.
Kempe extended the lead to 4–1 early in the third period, redirecting Matt Roy’s shot from the right point over Kahkonen’s glove.
Kempe then sealed the win with his 11th goal of the season with 4:18 to go, firing a wrist shot from the left circle five-hole.
