The Los Angeles Kings (14-8-7) traveled to Salt Lake City to face off against the Utah Mammoth (14-14-3) on Monday night. Darcy Kuemper guarded his net while Czech native Karel Vejmelka stood tall for the Mammoth. The Kings triumphantly secured the win and earned two points as they travel to battle the Kraken in Seattle on Wednesday, Dec. 10 for their next matchup.
Kings Lead 2-0
The Kings dominated the first period, with Alex Laferriere’s massive hit on Utah’s Nate Schmidt. Los Angeles took chance after chance with shots, but Utah goaltender Vejmelka held his ground, as he refused any opportunity for a goal. The Kings briefly surrendered momentum when Warren Foegele was called for the period’s first penalty. Kuemper made several brilliant saves, ensuring the Mammoth could not capitalize on the opportunity.
The Kings’ relentless pressure paid off at the 12:10 mark when veteran Adrian Kempe scored his tenth goal of the season on a backhand shot. Two minutes later, at 9:52, Joel Armia followed up with an incredible snapshot, putting the Kings up 2-0. Visibly frustrated by L.A.’s momentum, Utah players laid more aggressive hits on the Kings in the remaining minutes until the period wound down. The Kings headed back to the locker room, in control, with a two-goal lead as the Mammoth regrouped to try and get on the board.
Utah Attempts to Tie It Up, But No Luck
The second period opened with a bang for the Mammoth, as Dylan Guenther fired immediately, netting Utah’s first goal of the game just seconds after 20 minutes of play. The Kings then made the mistake as they took an early penalty, with Kempe heading to the box. That mistake alone gave the Mammoth an opportunity to retaliate and tie the score.
Vejmelka remained sharp and quick with his impressive saves, as he turned aside scoring chances from both Drew Doughty and Alex Turcotte. Though the Kings attempted to squeeze another goal in, they had no luck. The period concluded with Los Angeles clinging to their 2-1 lead, ready for whatever the third period would bring.
Kings Close It Out 4-2
The final frame witnessed the Kings in harmony with control of the puck and the neutral zone. At the 16:33 mark, captain Anže Kopitar regained their two-goal lead as he made it 3-1. Los Angeles appeared to be fully dialed in with Utah backed into a corner. Despite Kuemper’s impressive play, the Mammoth found a way into the goaltender’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 laying several hits, including Nick Schmaltz on Laferriere and Brandon Tanev on Cody Ceci.
However, the Kings countered back and maintained composure under pressure. In less than two minutes remaining of the final frame, Armia sealed the deal as he scored his second goal of the night and clinched the victory for the Kings, along with two points for their first win of the road trip in December. The team was sent off to their next road trip city, pumped as the famous “Moms’ Trip” continues.
