LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored his team-leading 26th goal before leaving in the second period with an injury, Ryan Smyth had a goal and an assist in the third, and the Los Angeles Kings tightened their grip on a playoff spot with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Michal Handzus connected on a power play for Los Angeles, captain Dustin Brown had two assists and Jonathan Quick made 20 saves to help the Kings complete their first four-game season sweep of the Colorado-Quebec Nordiques franchise — including a 5-0 victory on Dec. 21 that ended the Avalanche’s season-best six-game winning streak.
Quick was in net for all four games, and is 7-0 lifetime against Colorado. The Kings are 19-4-5 after a 1-10-0 skid, allowing an average of 2.2 goals during the stretch while giving up more than three goals only three times.
