Kings score 4 in 1st, cruise past Blues

Scoring on the power play just 2:25 into the first period, Byfield secured a 1-0 lead for his team. Positioned at the top of the crease, he capitalized on his own rebound from a centering pass by Anze Kopitar. Notably, Kopitar’s assist marked his 756th in the NHL, positioning him just one assist away from tying Marcel Dionne for the Kings record.

Selected as the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Byfield impressively recorded his third goal in just 16 games, equalling his goal output from 53 games in the previous season. Additionally, he currently ranks second on the Los Angeles roster with 11 assists.

Reflecting on his performance, Byfield stated, “All my life I’ve been kind of a points guy, a producer, and always wanted the puck on my stick. I just got to get back to that. I came in with a different mindset this year, you know, try to be more assertive this year. I think the confidence is really, really high right now.”

Adding to the lead, Blake Lizotte made it 2-0 at 2:44, seizing a turnover by Brayden Schenn and beating Binnington with a wrist shot below the right circle.

“Any shift after a goal is very important,” Thomas said. “Got to play the right way. You got to get the puck in deep, and even if you don’t create anything, just got to try and get the momentum back a little bit. It’s a big key for us that we need to get after.”

Further cementing their lead, Kempe put the Kings up 3-0 at 13:37 with a backhand on a short-handed breakaway, and Pierre-Luc Dubois made it 4-0 at 15:20 on a one-timer in the right circle from Arthur Kaliyev.

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Byfield remarked, “You always want to score as many goals as you can, but the momentum just took us. I think everyone was just feeling it tonight. Everyone was making really solid plays, safe game management, like everyone was doing the right things out there. We just came out hot and it was a lot of fun.”