Jeff Carter scores to help Kings beat Devils 4-2

By foxsports
Published

LOS ANGELES (AP) Jeff Carter scored his team-high seventh goal of the season and Peter Budaj made 21 saves to help the Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday.

Tanner Pearson, Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin also scored for Los Angeles. The Kings are 9-9-1.

John Moore and Adam Lappin scored for New Jersey. After winning five straight, the Devils have lost the past two to fall to 9-5-3 - and goalie Brian Schnieder has given up six goals. Schnieder made 24 saves against the Kings.

With 2:32 left, Lappin finished off a goalmouth scramble to cut the lead to a goal, but Muzzin scored an empty-net goal to push the game out of reach.

Just 45 seconds into the third, Carter finished off a 2-on-1 rush when he caught his own rebound and jammed it underneath Schneider's pads. It was his second goal in two games and his team-high 14th point.

Pearson gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with 1:40 left in the second period. The Devils turned over the puck on a clearing attempt, and Pearson caught it and teed off from the left circle, sending it off Schneider and into the net.

Martinez tied it at 1 at 4:58 mark in the second period. Nic Dowd faked a shot, spun around and found Martinez in the high slot, who beat Schneider with a hard shot through traffic.

Moore scored in a similar manner 3:38 into play, launching a long shot through traffic past Budaj.

NOTES: The Kings honored former goaltender Rogie Vachon before the game for his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. ... Kings C Anze Kopitar missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Martinez's goal was his third goal of the season and 42nd of his career, surpassing Robert Murdoch for ninth on the Kings all-time goals list among defensemen. ... Kings D Tom Gilbert was a healthy scratch. ... Devils L Mike Cammalleri and C Jacob Josefson were a healthy scratch. ... Devils D Yohann Auvitu missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

UP NEXT''

Devils: Finish a four-game trip in San Jose on Monday night.

Kings: At Anaheim on Sunday.