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The Kings snapped their winning streak Thursday and things of the past will persist as a theme Saturday at Madison Square Garden, where they’ll face the New York Rangers and former Kings luminary Jonathan Quick.
Quick has not been confirmed as the starter but he played both games against the Kings last year – he split the decisions by posting a .942 save percentage and 1.52 goals-against average – and he’s roughly due for a nod in lieu of Igor Shesterkin, who recently signed the richest contract in NHL history for a goalie.
Whether they face the highest-priced netminder in hockey or the one that brought their franchise its only two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, the Kings will be looking to move past Thursday’s low-wattage offensive performance in New Jersey. They managed just 13 shots against the Devils, the lowest total not only for the Kings across the past seven games but for their opponents as well. They’d been outshot twice during the streak (by the Ducks and Dallas Stars) and otherwise outshot opponents by double digits.
“We were trying to be too fancy, instead of shooting we were trying to pass it. We have to keep it simple,” defenseman Jordan Spence told reporters. “We’d won six games in a row for a reason, we played the Kings’ way, putting pucks behind them, shooting a lot of pucks and going to the dirty areas. We’ve just got to move on and play against the Rangers on Saturday.”
The Kings had allowed two goals or fewer in each of their six consecutive wins and in nine of their past 10 games overall, with seven one-goal-allowed efforts mixed in before the loss in Newark. David Rittich led the way during that span and made saves that were as timely as they were challenging to keep the Devils at bay, especially early when the Kings’ attack was flat.
“I think (Rittich) played really well. He kept us in the game. There were a lot of high-quality chances that they had where he made big saves,” Spence said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been winning a lot, the (goaltending) that we have.”
Spence also mentioned that the Kings fed into the Devils’ transition-oriented approach. Coach Jim Hiller remarked that the Kings had full possession before the Devils and Jack Hughes, who factored into all three goals and scored the game-winner, came back at them for scores.
“All three of the goals, we had the puck on our stick and five seconds, six, seven seconds later, it was in the back of our net,” Hiller said.
The Rangers have grown accustomed to pucks in the back of their net in short order as they’ve surrendered five or more goals eight times already in 2024-25. The 2024 Eastern Conference finalists’ 5-0-1 start now feels like a memory almost as distant as Quick accepting the Conn Smythe trophy in 2012. They had lost eight out of 10 games prior to Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres and, amid that funk, they traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Ducks, desperately dumping his $8 million cap hit.
Winger Artemi Panarin (35 points) and defenseman Adam Fox (25 points) continue to spearhead the Blue Shirts’ offense. Quick began the year 4-0-0 with a .968 save percentage and two shutouts. He has since lost two of his three most recent appearances, and turned in a save percentage of .850 or worse in all three outings.
Kings at New York Rangers
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV: FDSNW
