Anton Forsberg excels in relief of injured Darcy Kuemper in LA Kings' 4-3 win over slumping Rangers
Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves after taking over for the injured Darcy Kuemper in the Los Angeles Kings' 4-3 victory over the slumping New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko also scored for the Kings, who snapped a four-game skid with only their second regulation victory in January.
Kuemper allowed two goals on eight shots before abruptly leaving with 38 seconds left in the first period following a collision in the crease with a charging Jonny Brodzinski.
Forsberg played superbly after taking over for Kuemper, a member of Canada's Olympic roster. Kuemper also missed 2 1/2 weeks last month after taking a hit to the head during a loss at Dallas.
J.T. Miller scored two goals for the Rangers, who are last in the Eastern Conference after losing seven of eight.
Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in his third start and fourth appearance against the Kings, who drafted him in 2005. Quick, who turns 40 years old on Wednesday, won 370 games — 199 more than any other Kings goalie — while backstopping the club to two Stanley Cup championships during his 16 seasons in LA.
Kempe scored 18 seconds after the opening faceoff.
Only 42 seconds after Will Cuylle's goal for New York, Fiala scored his 18th goal by intercepting an unwise pass by former Kings teammate Vladislav Gavrikov.
Miller evened it again late in the first off Mika Zibanejad's pass.
Ward put the Kings back ahead early in the second, banking in a skittering shot off Quick's far post for his first goal of the season. After Los Angeles killed a five-on-three disadvantage for 96 seconds, Kuzmenko backhanded home a rebound of Fiala's shot.
Miller scored his 13th goal in the final seconds with Quick pulled for an extra attacker.
Up next
Rangers: At San Jose on Friday.
Kings: At St. Louis on Saturday to open a six-game road trip.