ANAHEIM, Calif. — When the Los Angeles Kings are on top of their formidable defensive game, they revel in the silence they can create in a frustrated road arena.
Although they’re not used to the cheers and chants that filled Honda Center while Jonathan Quick composed his latest shutdown symphony Monday night, they plan to ride that momentum right back up the freeway.
Quick made 36 saves, Marian Gaborik scored his third goal in two games, and the Kings beat the Ducks 3-1 to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.
Alec Martinez also scored for the Kings, who opened their first playoff series against their local rivals with two victories at a road arena packed with their own fans. The Ducks’ faithful had almost nothing to cheer during a remarkable effort by the NHL’s best defensive team.
“It doesn’t even feel like being on the road,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We played really good in this building in the regular season. It was the same for us tonight.”
Game 3 is Thursday at Staples Center.
Dwight King added an empty-net goal for Los Angeles, which has won six straight postseason games and is halfway to its third straight trip to the Western Conference finals. Less than two weeks ago, the Kings were down 0-3 in their first-round series against San Jose.
The Kings’ defense is just that good — and they’re also scoring just enough goals to beat even the high-powered Ducks.
“We could only dream of this, really,” said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who played more than 26 minutes. “They might say we don’t deserve it, but we won two games here, and that was our goal.”
Los Angeles didn’t need any last-minute heroics from Gaborik, who scored in the opening minute instead. Martinez added another first-period goal, and King scored after a bad pass by Cam Fowler with an extra Anaheim attacker.
NHL postseason scoring leader Anze Kopitar had another assist for the Kings, who followed up their overtime victory in the opening game of the first postseason Freeway Faceoff with a methodical defensive performance against the high-flying Ducks.
Los Angeles managed just nine shots in the final two periods, but Quick comfortably sat on a one-goal lead for more than 46 scoreless minutes until King’s empty-netter.
“We found a way to squeak one out tonight because we have the best goalie in the world,” captain Dustin Brown said.
PENGUINS 2, RANGERS 0
NEW YORK — Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of these playoffs, and Marc-Andre Fleury earned his second shutout of the Rangers in two nights.
Crosby snapped a 13-game goal drought in the playoffs to give the Penguins the lead in the second period, and Jussi Jokinen added a breakaway goal. Fleury stopped 35 shots to back up his 22-save effort Sunday in a 3-0 win in Pittsburgh. He has eight career postseason shutouts and 51 wins.
The Penguins, who lost the opener in overtime, lead the Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in New York.
Henrik Lundqvist made 13 saves for the weary Rangers, who played for the fifth time in seven days. They have consecutive losses in these playoffs for the first time.
By wire sources