Darcy Kuemper and Kings Earn Vital Win with Shutout Against Last-Place Canucks
VANCOUVER, Canada — Darcy Kuemper secured his third shutout of the season and the 39th of his career, making 19 saves to guide the Kings to a commanding 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Trevor Moore contributed significantly with one goal and an assist, while Scott Laughton, Artemi Panarin, and Quinton Byfield also found the back of the net. Mikey Anderson played a pivotal role in the offense, recording two assists.
This win positions the Kings just one point behind the Nashville Predators, who currently occupy the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race.
Kuemper’s standout performance included a remarkable save in the first period, where he redirected a powerful shot from Teddy Blueger with an impressive kick of his right leg. His last shutout came on December 6 against Chicago.
Kevin Lankinen faced a busy night in goal for the Canucks, making 34 saves amid a four-game losing streak. The team has now been shut out five times this season, with four of those losses occurring at home.
The Kings opened the scoring late in the first period with a power-play goal from Laughton. The sequence began when Byfield’s shot hit Laughton’s skate and deflected past Lankinen.
Byfield capped off the victory with an empty-net goal with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
Next up for the Kings is a matchup against Utah at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
