Jarret Stoll had a goal and two assists, and Jonathan Quick made 39 saves to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
Justin Williams added a goal and an assist, and Michael Handzus scored a power-play goal for the Kings, whose 4-0 home start is their best since the 1988-89 season.
Matt Taormina scored and Martin Brodeur made 18 saves for the Devils (3-8-1), who are off to the worst start in franchise history. Ilya Kovalchuk played in Los Angeles for the first time since spurning a 15-year, $80 million offer from the Kings and re-signing with New Jersey.
The sold-out crowd loudly booed Kovalchuk whenever he touched the puck.
The Kings recorded their 800th regular-season victory as a franchise on Mattias Norstrom Night. The team's former captain and defenseman was honored before the game for his 12 seasons with the organization. The game's first goal was scored by Williams, who wears Norstrom's old No. 14.
Ryan Smyth, who didn't record a point during the Kings' 3-2 road trip, started the play that led to Williams' fifth goal at 6:52 of the opening period. He passed the puck to Stoll, who dropped a pass to Williams for a wrist shot from the right circle. Williams had made a nifty spin move to avoid a check by rookie defenseman Tyler Eckford.
The Kings didn't get their first power play until 8:33 of the second period, when Devils defenseman Colin White batted a fluttering puck over the glass. Handzus scored about a minute into the advantage, converting a rebound after Brodeur stopped Stoll's one-timer from the left point.
Taormina got New Jersey on the board at 10:38 of the second, using teammate Dainius Zubrus as a screen and beating Quick with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line. But Los Angeles restored its two-goal margin just 24 seconds later. Rob Scuderi took a long slap shot off the end boards that caromed out to Stoll, who backhanded the puck inside the left post with Brodeur out of position.
NOTES: Participating in Norstrom's ceremony were a number of former teammates including Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake, Mathieu Schneider and Philadelphia Flyers RW Ian Laperriere, who is sitting out this season because of post-concussion syndrome. Several other ex-Kings videotaped messages. ... The Devils placed D Anton Volchenkov (neck) on the injured list and recalled C Brad Mills from Albany (AHL). ... New Jersey was 0 for 2 on the power play and is an NHL-worst 3 for 39. The Kings have allowed just five goals in 48 short-handed situations, and none in 15 at home. ... The Devils are 0-8 when trailing after two periods, and haven't scored more than three goals in a game. ... The last time the Kings won their first four home games in regulation was in the 1980-81 season when they were 7-0.
