Glendale, AZ, United States (AHN Sports) - The Kings are heading home with a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals thanks to Jeff Carter, who recorded his first career playoff hat trick in Los Angeles' 4-0 rout of the Phoenix Coyotes Tuesday night at Jobing.com Arena.
It marked the seventh straight road win in these playoffs for the Kings, tying the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks' NHL record seven-straight road playoff wins in a one postseason.
The Kings saw their recently struggling power play come to life, with Carter scoring his second and third goals on five-on-three power plays.
The Kings had been one for their previous 44 on the power play prior to Carter's power-play conversion at 18:49 in the middle session as he tipped a wrist shot with help from Anze Kopitar. That goal gave Los Angeles a 2-0 edge.
Carter, who had scored just once in the first 10 tilts of the playoffs, sealed the hat trick, pounding home a rebound at 12:56 in the third.
It was the first hat trick by a Kings players since Wayne Gretzky achieved the feat in 1993 in a playoff game.
Jonathan Quick was also superb as he stopped 24 shots for his second shutout this postseason.
It was a club-record tying third career playoff shutout for Quick, who thwarted eight shots in the opening period. The L.A. netminder kept it a 1-0 game entering the first intermission despite a strong Coyotes start.
Phoenix was assessed 13 penalties totaling 56 minutes, including a game misconduct to Coyotes captain Shane Doan for ramming the Kings' Trevor Lewis.
Phoenix controlled the action to start the second period, but failed to solve Quick. The Coyotes also had to deal with a key major boarding penalty handed to Doan.
After Doan was tossed 16:29 into the second period, the Coyotes unraveled, committing a slew of penalties and lost control of the contest.
The Kings received two full minutes of two-man advantage in the second period as Daymond Langkow was called for a slashing penalty following Doan's game misconduct.
Apart from playing the final 23:31 without Doan, the Coyotes had to contend the last 8:59 of Game 2 without center Martin Hanzal, who was also handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct after he ran Dustin Brown into the end boards from behind.
Losing goaltender Mike Smith allowed all four goals on 40 shots for the Coyotes, who are playing in their first conference final in franchise history.
Dwight King also lit lamp for the surging Kings, who have lost just once in 11 games in these playoffs and are on a club-record seven-game postseason winning streak.
The Kings, who are in the conference finals for the first time since 1993, will look to take a stranglehold on the series in Game 3 Thursday in Los Angeles.
