New city, same result. The Kings earned their fourth straight win of the preseason on Thursday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Quebec City. In the first of two games that the Kings will be playing at Videotron Centre, the home of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. Starting off the Quebec trip strong, the Kings put together another strong 60 minutes. The Kings held a fairly NHL projected Bruins team to just 14 shots in the game while manufacturing 26 of their own.
It was a feeling out process in the first period for both teams, but after 20 minutes the game was scoreless with the Kings leading in the shot department 11-2.
The offenses got going for both teams in the second period but did so in just a 35-second span. Just past the midway point of the game, it was Quinton Byfield who netted the first goal. A Brandt Clarke takeaway sprung Kevin Fiala and Byfield for a 2-on-1. Fiala subsequently fed Byfield for a weak-side one-timer and put the Kings up 1-0. Then, continuing his shift, Byfield netted his second goal of the game with a netfront puck battle win. Now up 2-0, the Bruins wasted no time to strike back. Just 15 seconds after Byfield’s second goal, Patrick Brown split the Kings defensemen in the neutral zone and beat David Rittich with a shot in the slot. After 40 minutes it was 2-1 Kings.
The Kings closed out the final 20 minutes with a pair more of goals and didn’t surrender any on the defensive side of the ice. Like the duo did in their last preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe teamed up for another one-timer goal. This one coming in reverse fashion compared to their goal against the Ducks, it was Kopitar that set up Kempe for the shorthanded goal 4:51 in. Just over three minutes later, Byfield struck again with an in-tight chip and completed the hat trick.
Rittich played all 60 minutes in net for the Kings and stopped 13 of the 14 Bruins shots.
The Kings will close out their preseason schedule on Saturday against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Quebec City. Then, it’s onto the regular season.
