David Rittich and the Kings halt the Islanders’ streak with a shutout.
David Rittich made 26 saves for his sixth shutout, while Adrian Kempe notched his third consecutive 20-goal season as the Kings defeated New York 3-0 on Monday, halting the Islanders’ six-game winning streak.
This victory marked the Kings’ fifth shutout of the season and Rittich’s second. Earlier, Rittich had stopped 26 shots in a 4-0 win over Edmonton on Feb. 10, coinciding with Jim Hiller’s debut as interim coach.
Contributions came from Trevor Moore, who scored a goal and assisted, and Phillip Danault, who also found the net. The Kings, who concluded a five-game homestand with a 3-1-1 record, currently sit third in the Pacific Division with 77 points.
Despite having five power-play opportunities, the Islanders failed to capitalize and were shut out for the fifth time this season. They are tied with Detroit for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card with 72 points. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves in the losing effort.
Kempe, who returned from an arm injury that sidelined him for five games, scored a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle assisted by Jordan Spence, marking his sixth game-opening goal of the season.
Danault scored his 15th goal of the season by capitalizing on a rebound, while Moore sealed the win with an empty-netter, his team-leading 25th goal of the season.
