Ducks hand Kings third straight shutout loss

LOS ANGELES -- John Gibson made 30 saves, and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-0 at Staples Center on Tuesday, the third straight shutout loss for Los Angeles.
Anaheim forward Rickard Rakell had three points in his season debut. He scored in the first period and had two assists during a three-goal second in his first game since signing a six-year contract Oct. 14.

"I just tried to find the timing throughout the game and I started to feel more comfortable the longer the game went on," Rakell said. "I'm just hoping to build off of this."
The Kings have been shut out in three straight games for the first time since Jan. 1-7, 1969. They have not scored since Jeff Carter's overtime goal in a 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 27. Los Angeles has not scored in regulation in 199:19.
"There's nobody coming in on a white horse to play goal for us or score goals or to come up from Ontario [of the American Hockey League]," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "This is our team … our responsibility is not to use the injuries as an excuse. The responsibility is to try and stay in the race."
It was Gibson's first shutout of the season, the seventh of his NHL career. Antoine Vermette scored his first goal with the Ducks, and Joseph Cramarossa scored his first NHL goal.

Kings goalie Peter Budaj lost his third straight game and was relieved by rookie Jack Campbell for the third period.
Rakell scored on a snap shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Budaj through his five-hole with 31 seconds remaining in the first to put the Ducks up 1-0. Ducks center Ryan Kesler tied up Nic Dowd on the draw and kicked the puck to Rakell to set up the shot.
Anaheim scored twice in 31 seconds during defenseman Jake Muzzin's double minor for high sticking against Cramarossa in the second period. Rakell set up Vermette from behind the net for a one-timer to make it 2-0 at 2:49, and Kesler made it 3-0 at 3:20.
Ducks left wing Nick Ritchie left the game following a hit by defenseman Tom Gilbert in the second period. Coach Randy Carlyle did not have an update.

Goal of the game

Kesler redirected Ryan Getzlaf's pass at the goal mouth to finish a rush. Getzlaf had time to spot Kesler going to the net with Kings defensemen Matt Greene and Derek Forbort caught watching the puck.

Save of the game

Gibson snagged Dustin Brown's shot with his glove with 5:05 left in the second period. Brown got time and space for a wrist shot from the left side, and Gibson slid over. It was the Kings' best scoring chance of the period.

Highlight of the game

Cramarossa scored on a wraparound attempt that banked in off Dowd and Kings defenseman Alec Martinez at 10:46 of the second period. Martinez's errant pass to Dowd created the possession. It was redemption for Cramarossa, who took a high stick from Muzzin earlier in the period. "I've had a tough week here, a couple of bumps and bruises in practice, but whatever it takes," Cramarossa said.

Unsung moment of the game

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler hustled to prevent a scoring chance late in the second period when he didn't allow Kings center Anze Kopitar to get to the puck and swept it away from the crease.

Need to know

Getzlaf is three assists from tying Teemu Selanne as the all-time Ducks leader (531). … Kesler is one point shy of 500 in the NHL. … Muzzin played in his 300th NHL game. … Campbell, the No. 11 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars, made five saves on five shots in his second NHL appearance. The other came in 2013 against Anaheim.

They said it

"I don't know if it was, but I think I just was at the right place at the right time."-- Ducks forward Rickard Rakell on whether he was surprised the touch and timing were there in his season debut
"You saw his hands and his skill and his vision tonight, so we feel pretty fortunate to have that type of player on our side." -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle on forward Rickard Rakell
"He wasn't very good. That's clear. I don't pull goalies very often, but they're expected to make some saves." -- Kings coach Darryl Sutter on goalie Peter Budaj
"Tonight was just not the game that we wanted to play, certainly not against a division team." -- Kings captain Anze Kopitar

What's next

Ducks: Home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET; SN1, FS-W, ROOT, NHL.TV)
Kings: Home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; FS-W, ROOT, NHL.TV)