The Rangers entered Saturday's game with high hopes after their 3 - 2 win at the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. However, their performance in the first period was far from satisfactory. Coach Peter Laviolette expressed his disappointment, stating, "It was a horrendous first period."

Turcotte's Impact

Turcotte gave the Kings a 1 - 0 lead at 7:05 of the first period with a goal on a 2 - on - 1 with Kempe. He moved up to play on the top line due to Trevor Moore's upper - body injury. Kings coach Jim Hiller praised his performance, saying, "I thought he had a really good game. What a great finish. Just a nice goal all three coming up the ice. I thought he was real good. I thought he was one of the stars of the game for us."

Turcotte's ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities showed his potential and added to the Kings' early lead. His presence on the top line brought a new dynamic to the team's offense.

The Kings' second line of Byfield, Foegele, and Tanner Jeannot also made their mark. They combined for two goals, three assists, and nine shots on goal. Hiller emphasized the importance of their performance, stating, "We needed that. I thought their line was flat in Jersey. They didn’t get anything done. Against a good team you can’t have one line flat. They came out and they were flying. There’s no question they set the tone for us as a line."

Foegele's Contributions

Foegele gave Los Angeles a 2 - 0 lead at 15:06, scoring on his own rebound from the slot after getting the puck from Byfield. His goal - scoring ability and tenacity on the ice were evident.

Foegele's play in the second period was crucial as the Kings scored three goals in the first 5:04 to take a 5 - 0 lead. He said, "We talked about let’s have a good push in that first five minutes of the second. We certainly did. We kind of just ended the game there." His words reflected the team's focus and determination during that crucial period.

Byfield also had a significant impact. His one - timer from above the right hash marks off a pass from Foegele gave Los Angeles a 3 - 0 lead at 2:46. It was his first goal in nine games, showing his ability to convert scoring chances.

Kempe's Finishing Touch

Kempe finished off a pretty passing sequence between Turcotte, himself, and Kopitar to make it 4 - 0 at 4:40. His goal - scoring touch and playmaking skills added to the Kings' dominance.

The Kings continued to build on their lead, with Phillip Danault scoring off a rebound of Brandt Clarke’s shot 24 seconds later, extending the lead to 5 - 0 at 5:04. This three - goal span in a 2:18 period demonstrated the team's offensive firepower.

Laviolette was frustrated with the team's start, stating, "To start a game like that in our building after playing some of the games like we have in our building, it’s bad. You know what I mean, it was a bad start. Right from the very beginning, the puck movement, the speed in which we were playing, the strides, completely different from where we were a game ago. We can’t just play one game like that; we’ve got to string together 10 games like that. So consistency in what we’re doing is not good. It’s frustrating and disappointing to start the game like that."