Rittich Bounces Back, Pushing Kings to Victory against Canadiens

David Rittich, in an impressive display of resilience, saved 26 shots on Thursday night, a day after being pulled to the bench during the second period in Toronto. This resulted in the Los Angeles Kings, weary from their travels, snapping their three-game losing streak with a 4-1 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens.

The Kings have improved their season-opening seven-game trip record to 2-1-2, a journey necessitated by renovations at their home arena. Rittich showcased a strong comeback, having previously allowed four goals from just 14 shots in a 6-2 defeat against the Maple Leafs.

Scoring for the Kings

The Kings’ victory was buoyed by goals from Alex Laferriere, Mikey Anderson, Andreas Englund, and Adrian Kempe. On the other hand, Justin Barron scored the lone goal for Montreal, who now stands at a 2-3-0 record. Montreal’s goaltender, Sam Montembeault, managed to stop 28 shots and also denied Kevin Fiala a goal on a penalty shot.

Kings and Canadiens: Key Takeways

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings showed commendable resilience, bouncing back after conceding a daunting total of 14 goals in their last two games against Ottawa and Toronto.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens found themselves playing with only five defensemen for two-thirds of the game, after Mike Matheson was forced to exit due to an upper-body injury. This left Lane Hutson with a hefty 30:05 on the ice.

Game-Changing Moment

The game took a decisive turn when Laferriere deflected a shot from Jordan Spencer just 1:37 into the second period, marking his third goal of the season. Alex Turcotte assisted on this key goal. Turcotte shares a special connection with the Canadiens as his father, Alfie, once graced the Canadiens’ ice between 1983 and 1986.

Significant Statistic

This win for the Kings marked their seventh consecutive victory over the Canadiens, including four straight wins on Montreal’s home ice.

What’s Next?

The Kings will next face off against Anaheim on Sunday, while the Canadiens are set to challenge the New York Islanders on Saturday night.