NEW YORK (AP) — Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey scored second-period goals, Jonathan Quick made 25 saves against his former team and the New York Rangers downed the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Sunday night.
The Kings lost their second straight road game after winning an NHL-record 11 consecutive games away from home to start the season. Los Angeles lost 3-2 in overtime to the Islanders on Saturday.
Vincent Trocheck had three assists while Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle also scored for the Rangers, who had lost two straight for the first time this season.
Quick, who improved to 8-0-1, made an acrobatic glove save on Carl Grundstrom at 13:38 of the third, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Quick played 16 seasons for the Kings, with 370 wins and 2.46 goals-against average. In addition to winning Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, he was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2011-12 and 2015-16.
“Obviously, it’s special,’' Quick said. “This summer when the schedule comes out, you know when you’re playing them. The effort from the guys in front of me — blocking shots — was tremendous.”
Kings forward Phillip Danault ruined Quick’s shutout bid at 6:37 of the third with a power-play goal. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar assisted. Danault left the game midway through the first after he was accidentally struck in the face with a puck shot into the Los Angeles zone by Zibanejad. He returned wearing a cage as extra facial protection.
“I don’t think we played poorly. We just didn’t play with enough to give us a chance of winning,’' Kings coach Todd McLellan said. ”Five games in eight nights is very taxing.”
Brodzinski scored on the power play at 11:32 of the third to put the Rangers ahead 3-1. It was the first career power-play for the 30-year-old Brodzinski.
Cuylle made it 4-1 with his fifth at 15:24.
“I think it was exactly what we needed to do,’' Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said of his team’s response to Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Washington. ”They are a good hockey team, real good defensively. We stuck with it and generated chances in the second and third. A really good start-to-finish game.”
Zibanejad put the home team on the board with a power-play goal at 8:27 of the second when he one-timed a pass from Trocheck past Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley.
Artemi Panarin also assisted on the goal and has points in 21 of 26 games this season.
Vesey made it 2-0 at 17:27 of the second, sliding a backhand through Copley’s pads. Copley had 23 saves.
Quick finished last season with Vegas after he was traded to Columbus but didn’t play a game for the Blue Jackets. He signed a free-agent contract with the Rangers last summer and has been stellar as Igor Shesterkin’s backup. He said Sunday’s game was unique.
“Before the game, I just wanted it to start,’' he said. “I never played them before and I was replaying a lot of memories. These are guys I played with for a long time.”
The Rangers have won four straight against the Kings. New York improved to 10-2-1 against teams from the Western Conference and 6-0-0 against Pacific Division teams.
Quick became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to win his first game against his former club after playing at least 500 contests for his original team.
The others are: Marc-Andre Fleury (for Chicago in Dec. 2017 against Pittsburgh); Ryan Miller (for Vancouver in Jan. 2015 against Buffalo); Patrick Roy (for Colorado in Feb. 1996 against Montreal); Ed Giacomin (for Detroit against the Rangers on Nov. 2, 1975); and Gump Worsley (for Montreal against the Rangers on Oct. 12, 1963.)
UP NEXT:
Rangers: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Kings: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
