Brett Pesce scores go-ahead goal as Devils beat Kings 3-1 for 3rd straight win

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Brett Pesce scored the go-ahead goal and Jake Allen made 12 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Saturday for their third straight win.

Anthony Mantha and Artemy Gritsyuk also scored for the Devils, who also beat Colorado and Anaheim on their current homestand. New Jersey has won five of six. Allen improved to 5-2-0 this season.

Scott Laughton scored for Los Angeles, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped. Forsberg made 23 saves.

Pesce beat goaltender Anton Forsberg at 8:08 of the third period after the defenseman found a clear lane through traffic in the Los Angeles zone. Luke Evangelista and Gritsyuk assisted on Pesce’s first goal this season.

Before the game, the Devils introduced newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 33-year-old Hellebuyck won 345 games in 11 seasons with Winnipeg and is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy.

New Jersey included goaltender Nico Daws, who won against Anaheim on Thursday, in the trade for Hellebuyck on Friday. Remi Poirier, who has yet to play an NHL game, dressed as Allen’s backup on Saturday.

Laughton scored at 15:57 of the second, driving the puck past Allen for his second goal. 

Mantha tied the game about three minutes later with his third goal.

Gritsyuk scored his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net at 18:55. 

The Kings had a power-play chance when New Jersey’s Timo Meier was called for tripping at 12:59 of the third but were unable to tie the game.

Los Angeles was coming off road wins over Washington and the New York Islanders to start its four-game trip after losing its first six games.

Up next

Kings: At the New York Rangers on Monday.

Devils: At Dallas on Tuesday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here