LOS ANGELES — When the Kings and Ottawa Senators have gotten together this season, there’s been more fizzle than sizzle.
That was true again at Crypto.com Arena for much of Monday night, when the Kings prevailed, 2-1, to sweep the season series, end a three-game losing streak and win for just the second time in nine home games.
All three goals came in the final 14:29 of the contest.
The Kings defeated the Senators, 1-0, in Ottawa on Nov. 15 in a game with 35 combined shots on goal and little dynamism to speak of across 60 minutes.
Monday’s game followed suit, with the most excitement through most of the first 40 minutes coming during the scoreboard acknowledgement of former Kings defenseman Jordan Spence, who was traded to Ottawa this summer.
Warren Foegele and Brandt Clarke each scored for the Kings with Joel Edmundson adding two assists. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves.
Former San Jose Shark Fabian Zetterlund scored the only goal for Ottawa. Leevi Meriläinen stopped 20 shots.
Just as Ottawa pulled its goalie, Quinton Byfield heaved a length-of-the-ice attempt that hit the post. The Kings had to defend five-on-six but successfully fended off Ottawa’s push to secure their first victory in four games.
The Kings’ power play, which had gone four for its past 50, came through in timely fashion, and in more ways than one. With just one second left on the power play, Clarke’s one-timer banked off Artem Zub and into the net with 6:10 to play.
It was Clarke’s third goal of the season but his first in 12 games and his first point since Drew Doughty sustained a foot injury in the prior meeting with Ottawa.
Ottawa made it a new game with 9:11 remaining. Tim Stützle gained the Kings’ zone and reversed the puck to Nick Jensen, who found Nikolas Matinpalo for a shot that created a rebound goal for Zetterlund.
The Kings removed the protective coating from the net after 45:31 of game action had passed. After receiving Edmundson’s stretch pass, Joel Armia generated speed and slid a centering pass to Foegele, who had skated past Jensen for a tap-in at the back post and his fourth goal of the season.
Late in the second period, Ottawa threatened during a power play, with an alert keep-in at the blue line by Stützle allowing Claude Giroux to feed Dylan Cozens for a sterling opportunity that was met by Kuemper’s pad before Drake Batherson’s diving followup attempt his the post.
The Kings nearly got the game’s first goal in the final minute of the middle frame, but Byfield’s backhand had the same fate as Batherson’s bid, eliciting the unmistakable ping of the post.
More to come on this story.