Darcy Kuemper gets real on Kings’ 1st win of the season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Kings lost Quinton Byfield to injury on Tuesday night against the Washington Capitals. At the time, the game was tied 2-2, and Los Angeles had a ton of pressure on them to see this one out. Darcy Kuemper and his teammates were able to do just that.
The Kings rode a three-goal third period to victory on Tuesday night. Star winger Adrian Kempe scored twice for Los Angeles in this contest. Kuemper was solid in goal, making 30 saves on the night. After the game, the veteran goaltender opened up about finally having that first win of the year.
“I don’t think it’s unusual for teams to go on losing streaks throughout the year, but when it’s at the start of the year, it gets magnified, and it feels a lot worse for us,” the Los Angeles goalie said, via NHL.com. “It looks a lot worse. So, nice to get a win, and now we just got to get rolling.”
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Kuemper has not had the best start to the season personally. He has an unsightly .869 save percentage after Tuesday’s win over the Capitals. However, it’s hard to argue with the performance. He was a rock in goal for Los Angeles, and he won the game when his team needed him.
As the veteran netminder said, Los Angeles has to build on this performance. Stringing a few wins together certainly flips the narrative and gives Kings fans a new sign of hope for this season. They have a chance to make it two in a row when they take on the New York Islanders on October 22.
Related: Kings lose Quinton Byfield to injury vs. Capitals