Alex Turcotte’s fast start leads Kings past struggling Canucks
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Alex Turcotte scored twice and added an assist – all in the first 10 minutes – as the Kings thumped the struggling Vancouver Canucks, 5-1, on Thursday night.
Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, Warren Foegele also scored and Darcy Kuemper had 20 saves for the Kings (25-12-5), who avoided what would have been their first three-game losing streak since Oct. 12-16.
Turcotte’s first goal came 51 seconds into the game. And before the midpoint of the first period, the 23-year-old winger had helped stake his team to a 3-0 lead. The first multi-goal game of his career helped the Kings score five or more goals for the eighth time this season.
Turcotte’s first goal came when Kempe poked the puck past Vancouver defenseman Filip Hronek just inside the Canucks’ blue line, setting up a two-on-one rush with Turcotte. Kempe waited until Turcotte neared the crease before centering a pass that was redirected into the net.
Turcotte scored again at 9:18 of the first period for a 2-0 lead. Fiala took a shot from just inside the blue line that Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko saved with his left pad, but the rebound went directly to Turcotte cutting through the right circle. Turcotte lifted the puck into the net for his seventh goal of the season.
The Kings, who scored just one goal in their previous two games combined, scored 24 seconds later to stretch the lead to 3-0.
Kings center Anze Kopitar made a one-hand centering pass from the right circle to Turcotte cutting to the net. Stationed below the goal line, Turcotte didn’t have an angle to shoot, so he made a beautiful behind-the-back pass back toward the slot, and Kempe pulled the puck across the crease and tucked it in past Demko’s outstretched skate.
It was the second straight poor start for the Canucks (19-15-10), who gave up three goals in the first 13:37 of a 6-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Quinn Hughes scored with a wrist shot from the high slot during four-on-four play to cut Vancouver’s deficit to 3-1 at 14:52 of the second period.
The Kings re-established a three-goal lead when Fiala scored off of a two-on-one rush on a power play at 15:58 of the second.
Foegele pushed the puck across the goal line from the side of the net to stretch the lead to 5-1 at 11:36 of the third period.
The Canucks have dropped six of their past seven games to fall out of a Western Conference wild-card spot, and the team’s once-potent power play has dried up. Vancouver was 0 for 5 with the man advantage and is 0 for 10 over its last four games.
Vancouver has allowed five or more goals in 12 of its 44 games this season.
UP NEXT
The Kings play at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at 7 p.m.