NEW YORK – For as much as the New York Rangers looked like worldbeaters at the start of the year, the Los Angeles Kings appeared to be anything but.
Time away from home seems to have changed the perception for both.
The Kings beat newly signed Blueshirts netminder James Reimer on their first two shots of the game and never looked back, winning their fourth straight game of their road trip after starting the season with six consecutive losses by a final score of 6-3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
For the Rangers, it was the first time they so much as trailed on home ice this season, no less lost; after winning six of seven games following a loss to open the year, they’ve now dropped five of six as they seem to have descended into something of a tailspin.
It was the visiting locker room where the feel-good vibes were emanating from, though. Los Angeles got at least one point from 12 of their 18 skaters, including goals from Taylor Ward, Brandt Clarke, Drew Doughty, Artemi Panarin, Mikey Anderson and Joel Edmundson.
With that many players contributing, it seemed like the type of win the team could build off of as they continue to work to get their season back on track.
“For sure, absolutely” said Ward, who scored his first goal of the season after a call-up from AHL Ontario.
“Pretty much everybody on the team was involved, so that builds confidence as a group and it’ll make sure everybody is feeling good going into tomorrow’s game.”
Los Angeles finishes their five-game road trip on Tuesday night in Chicago, and a win there would vault Kings head coach Peter Laviolette ahead of Ken Hitchcock with 850 career victories behind the bench, good for sixth all-time. Monday night was special for Laviolette not only for tying Hitchcock but also as it marked his return to Madison Square Garden, as he took the Rangers all the way to the Eastern Conference Final in 2024, but was then fired after missing the playoffs all together the following season.
After the game, Laviolette downplayed the significance of both.
“You know what, I think it just means a lot for our group to win,” he said. “We’re in a hole and we’ve been trying to climb out and get there and we’ve got to keep putting wins in the column; I’m fortunate to have been around the game long enough to reach a (career victories) number like that. So many great players and so many great coaches that have worked with each organization, and I’m blessed to have been in this spot.”