Byfield scores three points to help Kings ease past Predators

LOS ANGELES -- Quinton Byfield had two goals and an assist for his first NHL multipoint game and the Los Angeles Kings won 6-1 against the Nashville Predators at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.

"Awesome for him," Los Angeles forward Trevor Moore said. "Super talented guy. We like him. Goofball. So happy for him to get rewarded."

Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings (35-22-8), who have alternated wins and losses in regulation over their past six games (3-3-0). Jonathan Quick made 24 saves.
"I think our leadership is second to none in the league," Moore said. "We have great guys in there. 'Quickie' stood on his head tonight like he always does. Our structure takes care of us. We believe a lot in it. The young guys playing it in Ontario, they do a great job."
Troy Stecher made his Los Angeles debut after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade on Sunday for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, taking three shots in 17:38.
Romas Josi extended his point streak to 11 games with an assist for the Predators (37-23-4), who were playing the second game of a back-to-back following a 6-3 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. David Rittich allowed five goals on 34 shots.
"Tough start obviously," Nashville center Mikael Granlund said. "We got outplayed in the first period. They really went after us and got the lead."
Byfield, selected No. 2 in the 2020 NHL Draft and playing in his 31st NHL game, extended the lead to 4-1 at 5:01 of the third period. He scored on a wrist shot in the slot from just outside the crease set up by Rasmus Kupari.

Byfield's second goal came at 13:37, scoring into an open net for the 6-1 final after Rittich left his crease to play the puck.
"I think it helps quite a bit, for sure," said Byfield, who became the first teenager to have a multipoint game for the Kings since defenseman Drew Doughty on Nov. 21, 2009. "I don't know how long the drought's been, but definitely a few games. So having that feeling that I know I can score now, beat goaltenders in the NHL is definitely a confidence booster."
Los Angeles scored three goals on eight shots in the opening 10:39 of the first period.
Kempe put the Kings ahead 1-0 at 3:26 of the first period, scoring his 27th goal on a wrist shot from the high slot after Anze Kopitar stole the puck on the forecheck.
Arthur Kaliyev made it 2-0 at 6:36 on the power play with a wrist shot through traffic from outside the top of the left circle.
Moore scored on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush from Blake Lizotte to make it 3-0 at 10:39.
"I thought we didn't have a great start," Predators coach John Hynes said. "Some of it was on us and some of it was on L.A. They hunted us in our own zone. … First period probably cost us the game, but I liked our pushback."

It was the fourth time in the past 20 years the Kings scored even-strength, power-play and shorthanded goals in the first period.
"(Coach) Todd [McLellan] told us before the game, 'Buckle up, this is a team that's [going to] work really hard test our physicality.'" Moore said. "I think power play, penalty kill, it's where you got to compete all the time, and I think that we were ready tonight."
Philip Tomasino made it 3-1 at 3:33 of the second period, putting in Josi's rebound. Josi has scored 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) during his streak; he has 15 assists in the past eight games.
Josi has 60 assists in 62 games this season, the fewest needed by a defenseman to reach 60 since Sergei Zubov did it in 61 games in 1993-94.
Kempe scored into an empty net at 13:18 of the third to make it 5-1.
NOTES: Byfield is the first Kings player to have a three-point game before his 20th birthday since Kopitar did it on Dec. 19, 2006. … Moore has scored four points (one goal, three assists) during a three-game point streak. … Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki did not return after sustaining an apparent upper-body injury 1:44 into the second period. He was injured on a check into the boards by Kupari. Hynes said Borowiecki is "OK" but did not have a further update. … Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro did not play because of an upper-body injury and is week to week. … Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm returned after not playing against the Ducks because of a non-COVID-19 illness. He was minus-3 in 23:20 of ice time.