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 Andreoff's scored late in the second period, and goaltender Jonathan
Quick earned his sixth shutout of the season, lifting the Kings to a
1-0 victory over the Coyotes at Staples Center.
"I kind of blacked out, I couldn't really hear anything, I was just
shocked," Andreoff said. "I got the monkey off my back; I was
definitely relieved. It's a dream come true. Everyone wants to get
his first NHL goal. I've worked hard to get to where I am, and I'm
glad I got it."
Andreoff, 23, scored with 1:05 remaining in the second on assists
from center Jordan Nolan and defenseman Brayden McNabb.
Andreoff, who was playing in place of injured center Jarret Stoll,
fielded a pass from Nolan, who was streaking down the left wing, and
squeezed a winner past Arizona goalie Mike Smith. It took Andreoff,
a third-round pick (80th overall) in the 2011 draft, 15 games to
produce his first tally.
"Not many players get a chance to play in the National Hockey League
or to score a goal, so good for him," Los Angeles coach Darryl
Sutter said. "Hopefully, he's got lots of game-winners left in him."
Quick stopped all 25 shots he faced for his 37th career shutout, the
most in Kings history. Quick, who owns a 16-13-4 career mark in 33
games against the Coyotes, is 13-3-1 in 17 contests since Feb. 7. He
has a .933 save percentage, a 1.67 goals-against average and three
shutouts during that span.
The Kings (34-22-13) won for the third time in four games to tie the
third-place Calgary Flames with 81 points in the Pacific Division.
They are one point behind the second-place Vancouver Canucks.
"We worked hard, we had some good focus," Andreoff said. "It was
tough scoring. We were playing a team that was a tough checking
team."
Smith stopped 34 of the 35 shot he faced as the Coyotes (21-41-8)
lost for the 15th time in their past 16 contests and for the ninth
time in their past 11 trips to Staples. Smith has an 11-5-1 mark in
18 games against Los Angeles, but he got little support in this
outing.
"Obviously, we don't have a lot of scoring," Arizona right winger
Shane Doan said. "That's pretty obvious."
A lack of offense is Arizona's biggest problem. In the past five
games, all losses, the Coyotes have just three goals. They were
blanked by the Montreal Canadiens and now the Kings during the
stretch.
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"We need to make some plays or compete in areas where you can win
pucks and beat somebody to score in the game," Arizona coach Dave
Tippett said. "We didn't win enough puck battles or make a play that
made a difference.
"Now, that being said, there is a lot of try in our group. Our group
tries hard. (Smith) gave us a very strong game, and it's unfortunate
that we didn't get the play that we needed to get it equalized."
Los Angeles captured three of the four meetings between the clubs
this season, winning the last three.
"I thought we worked hard, had a good focus, tough scoring and
played a team that's a tough checking team," Sutter said. "They're
coming off a five-game homestand; every game that they played in
those five games was 1-0 going into the third (period). They can
check. They've always been known for that."
NOTES: Kings C Jarret Stoll missed his second consecutive game with
an upper-body injury, and there is no timetable for his return.
Kings assistant general manager Rob Blake told NHL.com on Monday it
is unknown how much time Stoll will miss with the injury, which
occurred Thursday after a hit by C Derek Dorsett in the Kings' 4-0
win over the Vancouver Canucks. ... Los Angeles D Jamie McBain also
was unavailable for the contest. ... The Coyotes scratched D Andrew
Campbell. ... Coyotes C Kyle Chipchura appeared in his 400th NHL
contest. ... Kings D Brayden McNabb played his 100th career game.
... Arizona hosts the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. ... The Kings
visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. ... An announced crowd of
18,230 attended the game.
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