The Ducks’ Alex Killorn, right, got a penalty for holding on to the jersey of the Kings’ Kevin Fiala on this play during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier, left, shoots the puck as Kings goalitender Darcy Kuemper defends his net during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks center Jansen Harkins, left, is shoved to the ice by Kings center Alex Turcotte during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal couldn’t make the play on this shot on goal during the first period of their game against the Kings on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, right, blocks a shot by the Ducks’ Ross Johnston (44) as the Kings’ Brandt Clarke (92) assists on the save during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Kings right wing Quinton Byfield, right, scores on Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger, right, takes the puck as Kings right wing Taylor Ward falls to the ice during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Joel Armia, right, sees his shot go wide of the goal as Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal defends during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Kings center Alex Turcotte, right, watches the puck fly away during a faceoff with Ducks left wing Alex Killorn, left, during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Joel Armia, left, and the Ducks’ Mason McTavish chase the puck during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Kings’ Andrei Kuzmenko, right, has his shot deflected by Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks center Jansen Harkins, right, tries to get a shot past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, top, deflects a shot by the Kings’ Adrian Kempe (9) during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, blocks a shot by the Kings’ Alex Turcotte (15) during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, left, is scored on by Kings right wing Joel Armia as left wing Andre Lee, right, skates by during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings right wing Joel Armia, center, celebrates his goal with left wing Andre Lee, right, as Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas stands by during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings left wing Jeff Malott, top, knocks Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger to the ice during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, stops a shot by Kings right wing Quinton Byfield during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere, left, dives for the puck as Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov takes it during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, left, and goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, try to stop a shot by Kings left wing Kevin Fiala during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) blocks a shot by the Kings’ Kevin Fiala (22) during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, center, stops a shot by Kings left wing Kevin Fiala as defenseman Drew Helleson defends during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, right, makes a glove save as Kings right wing Quinton Byfield stands by during the second period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Jeff Malott’s (39) has his shot deflected by Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks center Ryan Strome, left, and Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson scuffle during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Andrei Kuzmenko (96) is tripped up behind the net during the third period of their game against the Ducks on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, collides with Kings defenseman Drew Doughty during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba, left, passes the puck as Kings right wing Adrian Kempe puts pressure on him during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Mikael Granlund, left, and Kings right wing Quinton Byfield battle for the puck during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Kings defenseman Cody Ceci, right, and Ducks defenseman Ian Moore battle for the puck during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks left wing Alex Killorn, right, shoots the puck as Kings right wing Alex Laferriere defends during the third period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Kings’ Brandt Clarke (92) scores on Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during an overtime shootout on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. The Ducks won, 3-2. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks center Mason McTavish, left, scores on Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper during an overtime shootout on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. The Ducks won, 3-2. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, left, blocks a shot by the Kings’ Kevin Fiala during an overtime shootout on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. The Ducks won, 3-2. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Ducks center Mason McTavish (23) celebrates with teammates after scoring the decisive goal in an overtime shootout for a 3-2 victory over the Kings on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks celebrate after their 3-2 shootout victory over the Kings on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Ducks’ Alex Killorn, right, got a penalty for holding on to the jersey of the Kings’ Kevin Fiala on this play during the first period on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — The Ducks rallied from two goals down to upend the Kings, 3-2 in a shootout, on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, taking a 2-1 lead in the season series.
The Ducks now trail the Kings by just one point in the standings but are two back of San Jose, which lost to Detroit on Friday, for the final wild-card playoff berth.
The Kings have stumbled in five of their last six efforts and been defeated in 15 of their past 22, a funk that has encompassed more than a quarter of their campaign. After losing nine straight games, the Ducks won consecutive contests for the first time since Dec. 9.
“Sometimes there’s silver linings in some of these losing streaks,” said Ducks veteran Ryan Strome, who stated that the team refocused on defense and learned the hard way how tough it was to win as the season progressed. “It’s been a good two wins in a row. We’ve got to keep it going, but some of the lessons from the tough times are starting to pay off right now.”
Joel Armia returned to the Kings’ lineup to score a goal and set one up for Quinton Byfield. Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves. Corey Perry (personal reasons), Anže Kopitar (lower-body injury) and Trevor Moore (upper-body injury) were again unavailable to the Kings.
Strome and Tim Washe each tallied for the Ducks, with Beckett Sennecke factoring into both goals. Lukáš Dostál matched Kuemper’s save total. While Cutter Gauthier returned from an illness, Chris Kreider missed the match suffering from one. Leo Carlsson underwent surgery on his left thigh and will be sidelined three to five weeks, putting his Olympic participation in some question, and Troy Terry (upper-body) was placed on injured reserve.
In the shootout, Brandt Clarke moved to 2 for 2 in his career but it was Sennecke and Mason McTavish converting back to back to win it for the Ducks. Sennecke gave a hard forehand fake that created an easy backhand goal, and McTavish’s patented hesitation move opened up a backhander of his own.
A scoreless third period gave way to a measured overtime, though Clarke and Sennecke exchanged chances near the end of the bonus session.
In the middle frame, the Kings extended their lead to 2-0 and then retroceded it, heading into the second intermission tied.
“Being up two-nothing and giving that back is just, you know, it’s not good,” Byfield said. “Last year, we were a lot better at shutting those down, and that’s something we’ve got to improve on.”
Armia carried over his impactful play from the first period and scored 11:33 into the second. Andre Lee bested Gauthier, whose minutes were limited down the stretch, for the puck. Lee glided forward for a backhand dish that set up Armia’s one-timer from the left circle. Armia notched his 10th goal in 42 games as a King after scoring 11 in 81 appearances for Montreal last season.
Yet 39 seconds later, the Ducks halved their deficit and then tied the score at 14:56.
Washe, who captained Western Michigan to a national championship last spring, recorded his first NHL goal and point to make it a new game. First, he absorbed contact from Drew Doughty behind the cage to keep the play alive down low, and then he beat Doughty to the net front to sweep in a puck that slammed off the end boards.
“Amazing feeling, right? That’s what you dream of right there,” Washe said.
Strome scored for the first time since Dec. 16. Sennecke displayed his stick for a one-timer but instead cut to the net as Strome and Jackson LaCombe executed a give-and-go play. Strome’s slap shot went far side through a screen by Sennecke.
Sennecke earned the secondary assist on each of the Ducks’ two goals and his blast from the left side nearly gave them the lead. In addition to his two helpers and his shootout goal, he played 23:59, just seven ticks from the highest total for a Ducks forward this season thanks to frequent double shifting.
“He had a monster game. He was dangerous every time he touched the ice and he touched the puck. I don’t think anybody played as much as he did up front in a game this year, but he deserved it,” said Ducks coach Joel Quenneville, adding that Sennecke’s “instincts are special.”
The Kings, who have the second-fewest first-period goals in the NHL, not only struck first but struck early, a mere 1:38 after the opening whistle.
Pavel Mintyukov’s short, floating pass missed Gauthier and hit Armia. He passed to Byfield at the red line, allowing the hulking pivot to drive all the way to the right faceoff dot for a short-side wrister and his ninth goal of the season.
During the game’s first power play, Mintyukov and Armia were once again at the center of the action. Mintyukov’s hesitation at the blue line sent Armia off on a shorthanded breakaway, resulting in a backhand that was narrowly saved by Dostál.
Armia would set up Byfield for another chance off the rush and Adrian Kempe hit the crossbar, but the score remained 1-0 after 20 minutes.
“(Armia) sticks out to me. His hockey sense, his strength, on the penalty kill he gets a breakaway, those are things we’ve missed,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “It was pretty clear tonight the difference he can make.”
The Ducks and Kings will clash again at Honda Center on Saturday night in this season’s final Freeway Faceoff.