Adrian Kempe wasted no time setting the tone for the Kings on Wednesday night, and once he got rolling, the Sharks had no answer.
Kempe scored three times as Los Angeles rolled to a 7-2 win over San Jose at Crypto.com Arena, giving the Kings a much cleaner night after the chaos of their previous outing. The 30-year-old forward finished with his fifth career hat trick and his first three-goal game since the 2022-23 campaign.
“It was a big game for us,” Kempe said. “I think everyone came out and responded well.”
Los Angeles was also making its debut in the club’s “Hometown Remix” uniforms, with royal purple, gold, and black accents. The look fit the night, and Kempe matched it with a performance that took over from the opening shift.
He put the Kings ahead less than 90 seconds into the game after Artemi Panarin sprung him on a breakaway with a pinpoint pass out of the defensive zone. Kempe walked in alone and beat Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov from close range for his fourth goal of the season.
“If you go up 1-0, it gives you a completely different feel,” Laviolette said. “You come with the intentions of what you want to do for the night, and to get a goal early builds that confidence throughout the group so you can let it ride from there.”
The Kings kept pressing, and Kempe struck again late in the first period. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson found him with a seam pass, and Kempe ripped a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle past Askarov to make it 2-0 with 3:51 left in the opening frame.
Later, after assisting on Quinton Byfield’s goal, Kempe completed the hat trick with another one-timer that pushed the lead to 5-1 and sent hats flying onto the ice.
“It felt good,” Kempe said of earning a hat trick on home ice. “A confidence booster for sure.”
That third goal also gave Kempe his 37th career multi-goal game, moving him past Dustin Brown and into ninth place on the franchise’s all-time list.
“He’s played so well and I feel like he hasn’t really been rewarded,” Kings head coach Peter Laviolette said. “I think he’s playing strong, he’s getting chances and looks, and the line’s been good. It’s nice to see his contributions pay off on the scoreboard.”
Byfield was just as impressed by what he saw from Kempe.
“It’s amazing,” Kings forward Quinton Byfield said. “When he’s going, he’s one of the best players in the league, and to have him on our team, it’s so exciting to watch. Just being on the same power play, seeing the moves he makes, it’s awesome.”
The night also brought a milestone for Kenny Connors, who picked up his first career NHL point in his season debut after being recalled from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. In the second period, Connors set up Erik Haula from the slot, and Haula finished with a backhand to make it 4-1.
"Everybody was excited for him in the moment," Laviolette said. "It's a long road to get to the NHL, he's worked hard to get to this point."
Los Angeles entered the game after a wild 6-5 overtime win against Ottawa on Thursday, a night when it nearly gave away a four-goal lead. This time, the Kings put together a full 60 minutes against a Pacific Division opponent and picked up only their second home victory of the season.
“We’ve got an opportunity to really defend our home ice and make it so people don’t want to come play here,” Byfield said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
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