Rangers fall to Kings in Jonathan Quick's return to Los Angeles
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere, left, has a shot blocked by Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick as defenseman K'Andre Miller assists during the second period of an NHL game Saturday in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Jayne Kamin-Oncea
LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Quick, who backstopped the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cups, received a hero’s welcome Saturday night in his first game at Crypto.com Arena since the Kings dealt him away at the trade deadline last season.
And then he received another “L.’’
Quick played a solid game in goal for the Rangers, making 24 saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from dropping a 2-1 decision to the Kings, their second straight loss on this four-game West Coast road trip. The trip continues with a game Sunday in Anaheim before concluding Tuesday in San Jose.
Quick (9-4-2) is winless in his last five starts (0-4-1).
The Rangers (28-15-2) had a chance to score the tying goal in the final moments when they got a power play with 1:39 left after Adam Fox was high-sticked by Trevor Moore, but it came up empty.
Quick, who won 370 regular-season games in his 15 seasons with the Kings, already had faced his old team, beating Los Angeles, 4-1, on Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden. But this one, played in his old home arena, figured to be more emotional for him.
The video replay board played a lengthy and touching “welcome back’’ tribute to Quick at the first television timeout at 5:42 of the first period. It probably was the biggest highlight the Rangers had in the period. The crowd gave Quick a loud ovation, and the goaltender, who will turn 38 on Sunday, lifted his mask and smiled and waved his stick to the fans.
When asked if it was an emotional night for him, he said, “No. It’s a hockey game. A road game. Trying to get two points. Came up a little short.’’
Could he describe the feeling he experienced during that video tribute?
“Nah, it’s — they play videos all the time,’’ he said. “It’s just another video.’’
Said Jacob Trouba, “I thought he made some big saves. He’s been great all year. I think it was pretty special for him to come back here. We’re disappointed with the start, especially with what that game meant to him. It’s tough as a group of guys, and what he means to this room, and how he’s come in here and treated everyone. It’s disappointing.’’
Beyond the tribute, the highlight for the Rangers in the first period was on the penalty kill, as they were able to neutralize the Kings’ only power play of the period without allowing a shot on goal.
Outside of that penalty, they allowed 12 shots on goal and blocked 10 shots. They managed only two shots on goal in the period themselves, the last of which came at 3:51 on a partial breakaway by defenseman K’Andre Miller (who will turn 24 on Sunday). Kings goalie David Rittich got a piece of Miller’s shot and kept it out.
The Kings (22-13-8), who had gone 1-5-4 in their previous 10 games, got the game’s first goal in the final minute of the period. Kevin Fiala won a battle with Braden Schneider at the back post to catch a centering pass from Trevor Moore and skated across the low slot as Quick desperately laid out to try and poke the puck away. Fiala kept the puck out of his reach and lifted it over him with 34.4 seconds left for his 11th goal.
The Rangers finally tied the score on a goal by Chris Kreider at 14:39 of the second period. Peter Laviolette sent Artemi Panarin out with Kreider and Mika Zibanejad for an offensive zone faceoff, and the Rangers got possession. Fox set up Kreider with a diagonal pass to the left wing post that Kreider guided in for his 21st goal.
The Kings regained the lead on a goal by Quinton Byfield at 18:13. The play started when Miller had the puck taken away from him in the neutral zone by the Kings’ Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who drove to the net and lifted a shot that got over Quick but hit the crossbar and stayed out. Trouba attempted to clear the puck off the goal line, but he managed to get the puck out into the slot. Byfield got to it first and jammed it in over the scrambling Quick for his 13th goal.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
