Quinton Byfield’s Goal Gives Kings a 2–1 Win Over Rangers to Spoil Jonathan Quick’s Return to LA

LOS ANGELESOn Saturday night, January 20, the Los Angeles Kings upset the New York Rangers 2–1, spoiling the return of Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick with a goal late in the second period from Quinton Byfield.

For the Kings, who prevailed for just the second time in eleven games, Kevin Fiala also scored. David Rittich made twenty-two saves. In his first game back in Los Angeles since the Kings traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 1 of last season, Quick recorded 24 saves.

Quick eventually wound up with Vegas and picked up a third Stanley Cup ring before signing with the Rangers during the offseason. The Kings honored Quick with a 2-minute tribute on their videoboard during the first period.

“Obviously that ceremony and acknowledgement was really important for a lot of people in that locker room. It was emotional for a lot of our guys and very deserving,“ Kings coach Todd McLellan said. ”He deserved an extra five minutes. It’s too bad we couldn’t stop the clock.”

Quick, who beat the Kings in a Dec. 10 game at Madison Square Garden, tried to deflect the attention he received and the significance of the return to Los Angeles. “No, they play videos all the time. Just another video,” he said of the tribute. “It was a hockey game, road game, trying to get two points. Came up a little short.”

Chris Kreider scored for the Rangers. New York had a power play for the final 1:39 of the game after Trevor Moore was called for high sticking, but the Kings killed it off. It was the 25th time in the last 26 chances the Kings have not allowed a goal on the power play.

“I didn’t enjoy how it started. The Rangers lost for the sixth time in their last eight games, and coach Peter Laviolette stated, “Our start was bad; we were outworked.” “In a close game like that, you give up that goal in the first and can’t get back in,” the player said. “I thought the second and third period we turned it around.”

On Sunday, Quick will turn 38. In 2012 and 2014, he led the Kings to their Cup victories. After throwing three shutouts in 20 starts, he was named playoff MVP in 2012 and received the Conn Smythe Trophy.

A third-round pick by the Kings in 2005, he holds the franchise records for goalies in games played (743) and shutouts (57). “Obviously wanted to win for him. He played incredible,” said Kreider of Quick. “We’re not finding the net right now.”

Four minutes after Kreider tied it, Byfield crashed the net to put the Kings back on top 2–1. Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s backhand went off Quick’s left shoulder and down his back but didn’t cross the line. After a rush in front of the net, Byfield was there to bury the rebound at 18:13 for his 13th of the season.

“I just went in there and cleaned it up. That was all Jaret reading the play, making a good move to the net. It was all him and I got rewarded for it,” Byfield said. Fiala snapped a six-game goal drought with 34.4 seconds remaining in the first period. Moore made a nice pass near the crease to Fiala, who waited for Quick to commit and then fired it into a near-open net after Quick was sprawled on the ice.

At 14:39 of the second, Kreider beat Rittich on his short side by deflecting Adam Fox’s precise feed into the net to tie the score. In addition to being Kreider’s 21st goal of the year, it was also his 136th goal on the road with the Rangers, which ties him for fourth place all-time. With 8:48 left in the third period, Alexis Lafrenière was hit in the face by a puck during a shot by Artemi Panarin of the Rangers, but he was back in less than two minutes.

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