PHILADELPHIA (AP) - On a night when the focus was on streaks, the Los Angeles Kings ended two of them while keeping the Philadelphia Flyers out of the record book.
Adrian Kempe jumped out of the penalty box and scored a key goal in the third period, Jonathan Quick made 36 saves and the Kings ended the Flyers’ six-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory Monday.
Alec Martinez, Trevor Lewis and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Kings, who had won eight straight before starting their four-game trip 0-2-1.
“We talked about it all (Sunday) and again today, about how important this game was,” said Kings coach John Stevens, whose team moved two points ahead of idle Vegas atop the Pacific Division. “We played a really good, solid, team game.”
Jakub Voracek scored a power-play goal and Brian Elliott stopped 21 shots for the Flyers, who were trying to tie an NHL record by becoming the first team since the 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs to immediately follow a 10-game winless streak with seven straight victories.
“I think we’ve played really good hockey over the past 10 days, two weeks,” Voracek said. “We’ve just got to make sure we don’t get stuck on losing. We have to find a way to win on Wednesday and hopefully start another streak.”
With the Kings leading 2-1, Kempe finished serving a cross-checking penalty and scored his 11th goal on an odd-man rush at 4:48.
“It was a good opportunity,” he said.
Toffoli scored his 16th with 4:29 left to put it away, with Nick Shore getting his second assist.
The Flyers had more chances - they held a 37-25 edge in shots - but couldn’t convert against Quick in another twist to their topsy-turvy season.
“He was good tonight. He made a few big saves,” Philadelphia center Sean Couturier said of Quick, who shut out the Flyers on Oct. 5. “It was tough finding those rebounds.”
Elliott, the NHL’s No. 2 star of the week after posting a 1.31 goals-against average in three victories, wasn’t as sharp in his eighth straight start.
The Kings scored twice on their first seven shots. Martinez got his third directly off Torrey Mitchell’s faceoff win over Scott Laughton, and Lewis beat Elliott short side to make it 2-0.
Voracek, who entered with an NHL-high 33 assists, picked up his eighth goal with 1:56 left in the first period after collecting Claude Giroux’s deflected shot.
It was the sixth straight game in which the Kings, who have the NHL’s top penalty kill, allowed a power-play goal.
But even though the Kings played the final two periods without defenseman Christian Folin (upper body), they killed off Philadelphia’s five other power plays to sweep the season series and give Stevens a happy return to Philadelphia.
The first-year Kings coach guided the Flyers to the 2008 Eastern Conference final before being fired the following season.
“I think anytime you play one of your old clubs you have a little bit extra want going into the game,” said Martinez, who played 27:43. “John has been unbelievable for us. He’s come in here, stepped in and encouraged an environment that’s very positive.”
NOTES: Kings D Drew Doughty played a game-high 31:36. . Stevens tinkered with his lines, as Marian Gaborik saw time with the first line and Andy Andreoff and Jonny Brodzinski played on the fourth line ahead of Kyle Clifford and Jussi Jokinen. . Stevens called his time in Philadelphia “a great memory for my family.” . Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere missed much of the second period with an apparent injury before returning. “He played a good third period,” coach Dave Hakstol said.
UP NEXT
Kings: Home vs. Colorado on Thursday.
Flyers: Conclude a five-game homestand Wednesday vs. Detroit.
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