The Los Angeles Kings look to continue their recent hot streaks and search for a back-to-back sweep when they host the Boston Bruins on Sunday night.
The Kings (38-21-9, 85 points) are coming off a seven-goal showing on Saturday in a win over the Carolina Hurricanes, who had won their previous eight games.
Los Angeles is 7-1-1 over a recent nine-game span and extended its home points streak to 13 games (10-0-3).
“We seem to rise to that level when we’re pressed to do it, and that’s when we’re at our best,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said.
Trade deadline acquisition Andrei Kuzmenko recorded his first two points (one goal, one assist) as a King while playing on a line with captain Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Kuzmenko scored what proved to be the game-winning goal on a night that featured seven different goal scorers for Los Angeles. Also among them was Quinton Byfield, who has goals in seven of his last nine games.
“He’s playing well, scoring goals, does everything on the ice, plays PK, plays well defensively, good in the corner. Very happy for him,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said.
It was the third time that Kings have scored seven goals this season.
“We’ve had nights where we just haven’t scored much,” Hiller said. “(Saturday) was one of those nights where it seemed like we got a little bit of that luck or a little bit of that randomness that we had been missing over the course of the season on our side, and you hope that it happens like that. We’ll take a few more nights like that.”
The Bruins (30-32-9, 69 points) welcomed 2021 first-round draft pick Fabian Lysell back to the NHL lineup for the second time in his career in a 3-1 Saturday loss at the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks. On Saturday, he moved up the lineup to play with Marat Khusnutdinov and Elias Lindholm.
“He’ll get some more minutes offensively,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said before Saturday’s game. “He’s going to be able to make some plays for us, produce some offense, whether it’s offensively in the zone or through the neutral zone, off the rush, some things like that. And then his details and habits have to be solid away from the puck.”
However, they will be without an impact player in forward Mark Kastelic for the last week of their five-game road trip due to an upper-body injury.
“Kasty, he actually went back to Boston. He’s not going to be here for the remainder of the trip,” Sacco said. “We’ll know more when we get back from the trip.”
Casey Mittelstadt scored the Bruins’ lone Saturday goal in San Jose, where they fell for a fifth straight game (0-4-1). However, it marked their first 20-plus shot game in the last four.
“I don’t think there’s a question about the fight in here,” Bruins forward Morgan Geekie said this week. “I think it’s just we’ve got to understand the position we’re in and try not to lose sight of the end goal.”
The two teams have not met since Oct. 12, the second game of the Kings’ season and the Bruins’ third. David Pastrnak scored in overtime to lift Boston to a 2-1 win that day.
