Kempe's Hat Trick Powers Kings Past Sharks in Triumphant Return

Adrian Kempe wasted no time making up for lost time. Back in the lineup after missing Saturday's 3-2 loss to Buffalo with an undisclosed injury, the Los Angeles forward scored a hat trick and added an assist as the Kings eased past the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Wednesday night. Kempe needed just 83 seconds to announce his return, beating Yaroslav Askarov with a wrist shot on a breakaway from the slot. He doubled the lead at 16:09 of the first period, burying a one-timer from the right circle off Erik Gustafsson's pass, and completed his fifth career hat trick at 15:51 of the second, finishing Alex Laferriere's cross-slot feed with another one-timer. The three-goal night moved him into a tie with Charlie Simmer and Jimmy Carson for ninth in Kings history. He was far from alone. Artemi Panarin recorded four assists, Quinton Byfield scored twice on the power play, Erik Haula added a goal and an assist, and Joel Armia also found the net. Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves as Los Angeles, now 5-7-2, won for the second time in three games to open a seven-game homestand and improved to 5-3-0 over its last eight after an 0-4-2 start. San Jose got power-play goals from Macklin Celebrini — his sixth of the season, ending a six-game drought — and Ivar Stenberg, with Dmitry Orlov and Michael Misa each recording two assists. But the Sharks have now lost three straight and five of six, and Askarov's 20 saves were not enough to keep them in it once the Kings found their rhythm.