With Darcy Kuemper hurt again, Anton Forsberg slammed the door on the Rangers, turning a potential collapse into a 4-3 victory that vaults the Kings back into the wild-card race and forces Jim Hiller to confront a full-blown goalie dilemma.
Kevin Fiala produced a goal and a primary assist, Adrian Kempe scored 18 seconds after puck-drop, and Anton Forsberg stopped 28 of 29 shots in emergency duty, powering the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 win over the free-falling New York Rangers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The victory snaps a four-game slide for the Kings and gives them only their second regulation win in January, while the Rangers sink to the Eastern Conference basement after dropping seven of eight.
How Kuemper’s Exit Flipped the Script
Everything changed with 38 seconds left in the first period. Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski charged the crease and collided with Darcy Kuemper, who had already allowed two goals on eight shots. Kuemper skated off favoring his lower body, the same area that cost him 2½ weeks in December after a head-shot from Ty Dellandrea in Dallas (AP).
Enter Forsberg, career save percentage .907, zero warmup throws. Over the final 38:38 he authored the quietest 28-save masterpiece of the season, including a sprawling denial on Artemi Panarin during a five-on-three that lasted 96 seconds.
Rangers Spiral, Quick’s Homecoming Ends in Heartbreak
J.T. Miller scored twice, the second with Quick pulled for the extra attacker, but the Rangers never led. Mika Zibanejad’s saucer pass on the first Miller goal was the lone highlight of a period that saw Los Angeles outshoot New York 16-9 after the opening frame.
Quick, who turns 40 on Wednesday, finished with 23 stops in his third start and fourth appearance against the franchise that drafted him 13th overall in 2005. The 370 wins he compiled in 16 seasons in L.A. remain 199 more than any other goalie in club history (NHL stats).
Kuzmenko, Ward Provide Insurance in the Middle Frame
Trailing 2-1 early in the second, Taylor Ward banked his first goal of the season off the far post. Moments later, Andrei Kuzmenko buried a rebound of Fiala’s shot on the rush, giving the Kings a two-goal cushion that held until Miller’s late garbage-time tally.
What This Means Going Forward
- Goaltender Controversy 2.0: Forsberg’s performance gives coach Jim Hiller legitimate options if Kuemper’s injury lingers. The Kings are 4-7-1 in January; they cannot afford to wait on a goalie who has already missed time twice in two months.
- Rangers in Free-fall: New York has allowed 4.25 goals per game during its 1-7 stretch and sits last in the East, three points behind Columbus. General manager Chris Drury faces pressure to sell ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
- Schedule Relief: Los Angeles opens a six-game road trip Saturday in St. Louis with renewed confidence and, possibly, a new No. 1 netminder.
Key Stats That Tell the Story
- Forsberg’s .966 save percentage Tuesday is his highest in any appearance with 25-plus saves since 2022.
- The Kings scored four goals in regulation for the first time since Dec. 28, ending a 10-game drought of three-or-fewer tallies.
- Rangers power play: 0-for-4, including that critical five-on-three that could have flipped momentum.
Next Up: New York continues its California swing Friday in San Jose, while Los Angeles visits St. Louis on Saturday night to begin a season-defining six-game trek that could determine playoff seeding—or extinction.
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