Kings clinch playoff spot with win over Kraken
SEATTLE — Quinton Byfield scored twice, Anton Forsberg made 28 saves and the Kings secured a playoff spot with Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Trevor Moore, Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings, who won their fifth straight and are playoff-bound for the fifth consecutive season.
With two games left, the Kings are in position for the second Western Conference wild card and fourth in the Pacific Division, just two points behind second-place Edmonton. The Kings’ victory, combined with Nashville’s loss to San José earlier Monday night, wrapped up their playoff spot and eliminated both the Predators and the Sharks.
The Ducks also clinched a playoff berth, their first since 2018, by virtue of Nashville’s loss.
Adam Larsson, Frederick Gaudreau and Bobby McMann scored for Seattle, all in the third period. Nikke Kokko stopped 25 shots in his second career start. Matty Beniers had two assists.
Samuel Helenius and Seattle’s Jacob Melanson dropped the gloves with 7:57 to go in the first, and both earned five-minute majors. Their fight occurred just after the forwards finished serving matching roughing minors for an attempted altercation earlier in the period.
Byfield opened the scoring when a failed pinch by Ryan Lindgren allowed him to take off on a two-on-one rush. He added his 22nd goal later in the first period when a pass jumped Lindgren’s stick at the Kings’ blue line, leading to a breakaway that Byfield converted.
Moore scored on a rebound 7:13 into the second. The Kraken twice got within one goal in the third, but Laferriere’s empty-netter in the closing seconds ended their hopes.
Already eliminated from the playoffs, Seattle lost to the Kings for the first time this season and has not won three straight games since January.