Toffoli scores twice as Kings clip Red Wings
DETROIT -- Tyler Toffoli recorded two goals and an assist to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.
Derek Forbort and Nic Dowd also scored for Los Angeles, which snapped a seven-game losing streak in Detroit. Dustin Brown had two assists, and Kings goalie Jeff Zatkoff made 17 saves.
Defenseman Mike Green scored for Detroit, which is 2-9-3 in its past 14 home games. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 27 shots.
Toffoli made it 3-1 with 6:50 left on his first goal of the game. Toffoli broke in off left wing, swept across the top of the crease and tucked the puck inside the right goal post, past Howard, on the forehand.
Toffoli added an empty-net goal with 3:34 left. It was his seventh goal.
Detroit's Gustav Nyquist hit the goal post almost 10 minutes into the third period.
Dowd gave the Kings (15-12-2) a 2-1 lead with 17 seconds left in the second period. He put in his own rebound for his third goal of the season.
Howard denied Toffoli on a breakaway, after Toffoli came out of the penalty box, about 1:30 into the second period.
Forbort gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds into the game. His screened shot from the left point sailed over Howard's left shoulder. It was Forbort's second goal.
Green tied it for Detroit (13-14-4) at 7:13 of the first period. He put in a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle, converting a backhand pass from Luke Glendening out of the left corner. It was Green's seventh goal.
Los Angeles outshot Detroit 11-2 in the first period, 31-18 overall.
NOTE: Detroit D Jonathan Ericsson returned after missing three games with back spasms. He replaced D Alexey Marchenko in the lineup. Marchenko aggravated a shoulder injury in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. ... Los Angeles C Anze Kopitar came into the game one point shy of 700 for his career. ... The Red Wings are 0-2-1 in the first three games of a five-game homestand and have been outscored 9-2. "We've got to find a way to score some goals and win some games," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "We're not playing badly, but we have to put the puck in the net." ... It was the second game of a nine-game road trip for the Kings.