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Kings Hold on, Beat Islanders 3-2

They allowed just five shots against in the third and didn’t give the Islanders many looks.

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The Los Angeles Kings were in need of a victory Friday night, and got the job done, beating the New York Islanders 3-2.

The first period was one of the more uneventful ones we've seen this season. 

Both teams started sluggish and neither threatened the net too much.

The one big chance went the Islanders way. Matt Martin received a pass backdoor on the rush that Jonathan Quick was able to stonewall in vintage Quick fashion.

The Kings grew into the game and were the better team in the second half of the first period. 

They continued this play into the second, and six minutes into the period got their breakthrough. 

After a strong shift from Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala, the former put a shot on net that Ilya Sorokin had to fight off. Phil Danault was able to get a stick on the puck as it bounced into the air. Islanders defensemen Alexander Romanov batted the puck into his own net, giving Danault his 15th goal of the season.

Just over a minute later, the Kings extended the lead to two. 

Rasmus Kupari picked up a Jaret Anderson-Dolan clear at center ice and create a two-on-one with Arthur Kaliyev. Kupari showed good patience and slid the puck under the defensemen's stick to give Kaliyev an easy tap-in back door. 

Four minutes later, the Kings continued to pour it on. Alex Iafallo fed the puck from high to low for Gabe Vilardi, who one-timed the puck past Sorokin and in. 

The Islanders got themselves on the board four minutes later, with Noah Dobson's bomb from the point beating Quick.

The teams exchanged penalties late but the period ended 3-1. 

Given the Kings' struggles to hold a lead recently, Todd McLellan will be hoping his team can tighten it up defensively. 

The Kings seemed less focused on getting a fourth goal in the third and more focused on shutting things down.

And shut things down they did.

They allowed just five shots against in the third and didn't give the Islanders many looks. 

The Islanders did bring the game within one after Adam Pelech beat Sean Durzi wide and saw his centering feed go off Matt Roy and in. 

The Islanders had a few chances with the net empty, but the Kings held strong and were able to come away with two points. 

The Kings are back in action Sunday, taking on the New York Rangers.

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