LOS ANGELES — Kevin Fiala tallied two points, Adrian Kempe, Taylor Ward and Andrei Kuzmenko each found the back of the net as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. 

Los Angeles entered the night in need of a strong start after losing four straight games, including being swept in the freeway series against the rival Anaheim Ducks. The Kings delivered from the opening puck drop.

Just 18 seconds into the contest, Corey Perry, returning after missing the previous three games, jump-started the opening goal with a crisp pass from the defensive zone to Adrian Kempe. Kempe moved the puck to Brandt Clarke at center ice before getting it right back, then snapped a sharp-angle shot past Kings icon and Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick for his 17th goal of the season. 

“I thought we started real well,” Forsberg said. “I thought we created chances the whole game.”

               

New York answered the opening goal by pulling even when defenseman Scott Morrow snapped a wrist shot from the slot that deflected off Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper and found its way into the net, marking his first goal of the season.

The Kings quickly responded after forcing a turnover in the offensive zone, as Kevin Fiala capitalized and buried his 18th goal of the year in his 700th career NHL game to regain the lead.

Later in the period, New York pushed back and found the equalizer. With 3:24 remaining in the frame, center Mika Zibanejad located J.T. Miller at the top of the crease, where the winger tapped home his 12th goal of the season — an uncontested finish to knot the game at two.

As the first period wound down, a cross-crease save resulted in a collision that forced Kuemper to exit with an upper-body injury. He would not return and backup Anton Forsberg finished the game for Los Angeles.

Forsberg would prove to be the star for the Kings tonight. Coming off the bench, Forsberg saved 27 of 28 shots and held New York scoreless until the final minute of regulation. 

“He came in really well,” Kempe said. “He did a great job the rest of the game, I’m really happy for him.”

                  

The middle frame opened with sustained pressure from the Kings’ fourth line, pinning New York deep in its own zone. The effort paid off when Ward snapped the go-ahead goal off the post. The goal marked his first of the season and gave Los Angeles a 3-2 advantage.

The pivotal moment of the game came after penalties to Alex Laferriere for roughing and Joel Edmundson for tripping set up a 5-on-3 opportunity for New York with a chance to tie the game. Forsberg stood tall, turning aside seven shots during the two-man advantage — sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Los Angeles head coach noted the importance of the play. 

“The turning point of the game,” Hiller said. “I know the fans really got into it, I think [they] really appreciated the efforts of (Forsberg).”

                    

With both teams trading chances through the game’s first five goals, Los Angeles looked for breathing room. The third line delivered. A loose puck found Alex Turcotte in the offensive zone, and the center slid a pass to Fiala. His slap shot on three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick kicked out to Kuzmenko, who pounced and backhanded home his 10th goal of the season to extend the lead.

Los Angeles carried a two-goal cushion into the final period, aiming to secure its first home victory since Jan. 5 against Minnesota.

Midway through the third period, it appeared Alex Laferriere had extended the Kings’ lead with what looked to be Los Angeles’ fifth goal of the night. However, New York issued a coach’s challenge, and after video review, the officials ruled that Quick had been interfered with on the play, overturning the goal and keeping the score 4-2.

Despite trailing by two goals late into the third, New York fought until the final buzzer. Miller gave Kings faithful a pit in their stomach when he found the net for the second time of the game to cut the LA lead to one with 25.8 seconds left. A last-ditch effort by New York would fall short as Los Angeles shut the door on a potential comeback and snapped a four-game home losing streak.

The bounce-back win delivered two crucial points and vaulted Los Angeles into a three-way tie in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks at 53 points.

Los Angeles struggled on the face off, winning just 18 of 63 (28.6%) on Tuesday evening. Prior to leaving the game with an upper-body injury in the first period, Kuemper saved six of eight shots. Quick saved 23 of Los Angeles’ 27 shots. The Kings and Rangers conclude the season series at Madison Square Garden on March 16.

UP NEXT: Los Angeles begins a six-game road trip on Saturday in St. Louis against the Blues.