The Los Angeles Kings sent a few reminders at the trade deadline that they’re still serious about making the playoffs.
They just need to start winning.
The Kings will try for two wins in a row when they host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Los Angeles is coming off a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday. The Kings haven’t won two games in a row since a three-game run in late January.
“You’ve got to get hot and you’ve got to win games,” Kings forward Adrian Kempe said. “I think that’s the most important thing.”
The Canadiens will visit Los Angeles a night after losing down the freeway in Anaheim to the Ducks, 6-5 in a shootout.
The Kings had dropped six of seven of their past games when they took on the Islanders, who had lost 5-1 the night before in Anaheim to halt their five-game winning streak.
Los Angeles made it easy on itself by scoring a goal in the first period and two goals late in the second to build a 3-0 lead.
Even after the Islanders trimmed the deficit to 4-2 early in the third period, Kempe scored four minutes later to re-establish the three-goal advantage.
“If we play like we did (against New York), with the effort, the way we played with the puck and off the puck, I think obviously it’s going to help us to get into good positions,” Kempe said. “Obviously, you have to get hot at the right time, and the window is getting smaller and smaller, so this is the time to get hot. If we keep bringing this, I think we have a good shot.”
The Kings won’t have forward Quinton Byfield, who’s third on the team with 33 points. He has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury but will travel with the team on Sunday when it leaves leave for a five-game road trip.
Los Angeles traded forwards Warren Foegele and Corey Perry before Friday’s deadline and acquired forward Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and forward Mathieu Joseph was signed as a free agent after he was released by the St. Louis Blues.
Laughton had eight goals and four assists in 43 games with the Maple Leafs. He had a career-high 18 goals and 43 points in 78 games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022-23.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, rallied from a two-goal deficit early in the third period against the Ducks by scoring three times in just over 4 1/2 minutes to take a 5-4 lead.
Montreal gave up the tying goal with 42 seconds left and Anaheim’s goalie pulled for the extra attacker, couldn’t capitalize on a power play in overtime, and then lost in the six-round shootout.
“We can regroup here,” Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson said. “Best thing is we’re right back at it (Saturday) and a chance to finish on a good note on the road trip.”
Jakub Dobes is expected to start in goal against the Kings after Sam Montembeault made 28 saves in Anaheim. Dobes struggled in his last outing on Tuesday, surrendering six goals on 27 shots in a 7-5 loss at the San Jose Sharks.
Before that start, Dobes was 9-0-2 with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in his previous 11 games.
Dobes faced the Kings last season and gave up five goals in a 6-3 loss in Los Angeles.
