Key play: Team captain Ryan Getzlaf’s first even-strength goal of the season gave the Ducks an early lead and propelled them to a 4-2 victory Thursday over the Kings at Staples Center. Getzlaf scored for only the fourth time in 2015-16 and the Ducks went on to win their fifth in a row.
Pivotal performer: Ducks left wing David Perron scored one goal and assisted on two others, giving him three goals and eight points in six games since they acquired him and defenseman Adam Clendening on Jan. 15 from the Pittsburgh Penguins for left wing Carl Hagelin.
Milestone moment: Getzlaf recorded his 500th career assist when he set up Perron for a first-period goal. Getzlaf reached the mark in his 755th game in the NHL. Teemu Selanne holds the franchise record with 533 assists, set during two stints with the club.
Quote, unquote: “When he scored, everybody was really, really happy for him on the bench,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said of Getzlaf’s first-period goal. “In the history of this team, if he’s playing the way he can, like he was tonight, usually the rest of the team follows suit.”
Welcome back: Kings winger Kyle Clifford returned to the lineup after sitting out 24 games because of a concussion suffered in a Dec. 6 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He spent the All-Star weekend with the AHL’s Ontario Reign and was activated from injured reserve before the game.
Goalie change: Jonathan Quick gave up three goals on nine shots before Kings coach Darryl Sutter replaced him with Jhonas Enroth early in the second period. Ryan Garbutt beat Quick with a laser off the rush 2:41 into the middle period, giving the Ducks a 3-0 lead and prompting the switch.
No fight club: Ducks defenseman Josh Manson and Kings winger Milan Lucic seemed poised for a rematch of their epic fight during an exhibition game in September before the officials kept them apart. Manson was mad that Lucic was mad at Hampus Lindholm after a hard hit on Anze Kopitar.
Faceoff frenzy: The Ducks dominated the Kings in the faceoff circle, winning 31 of 57 (54 percent). Among their biggest winners were Ryan Kesler (10 of 15) and Rickard Rakell (7 of 11). Kopitar was the Kings’ biggest loser through two periods, losing nine of 12. He was credited with 11 of 20 wins by game’s end, however.