Milan Lucic
Quick gets back to form, Kings end two-game skid
Milan Lucic

Quick gets back to form, Kings end two-game skid

Published Nov. 24, 2015 4:15 a.m. ET

SUNRISE, Fla.

The Los Angeles Kings feel they are back on track.

Jonathan Quick bounced back from a poor performance and Alec Martinez scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period to lift the Kings over the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Monday night.

The Kings snapped a two-game skid after winning 12 of their previous 15 games.

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Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Kings, and Quick stopped 31 shots. The star goalie was back in net after being pulled when he gave up four goals on 21 shots through two periods Sunday at Carolina.

"It was huge. It shouldn't be happening that we lose three in a row," Gaborik said. "(Quick) was great. He kept us in the game. He was unbelievable in net. He made key saves."

Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo stopped 21 shots after replacing injured Al Montoya.

The Panthers have lost three in a row and nine of 12.

Montoya made seven saves and gave up one goal during his first start in eight games. He exited at 11:22 of the first period after taking a hit to the shoulder and head by the Kings' Nick Shore while diving to cover the puck.

There wasn't an immediate update on Montoya's condition after the game.

"I think something got him in the back of the head or neck. He was pretty sore," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said.

Martinez broke a 1-all tie with 2:44 left in the second. A shot by Kyle Clifford went off the back of Jordan Nolan, and Martinez backhanded the loose puck past Luongo.

"It was a good play by Nolan and (Clifford) there," Martinez said. "I just saw an opportunity to jump up in the rush and every once in a while you get a gratuitous bounce like that."

The play caught Luongo by surprise.

"They got a lucky bounce on their second goal," Luongo said. "It hit (Nolan) and all of a sudden it's on (Martinez's stick)."

Gaborik stretched the lead to 3-1 at 1:05 of the third. He brought the puck in from the blue line through the right circle and into the low slot before putting the puck over Luongo's shoulder.

Toffoli gave the Kings a 1-0 lead when he took a pass from Milan Lucic from behind the net to the right circle, then wristed it past Montoya just inside the post on the glove side at 7:47 of the first.

Barkov tied it with his power-play goal at 5:07 of the second. Barkov shot from the right circle and the puck bounced off Quick's blocker and into the net. Jaromir Jagr was credited with an assist.

The Panthers were outshot 18-4 in the first period.

"The first 20 (minutes) was real bad, and that cost us the game," Gallant said.

Notes: Gaborik played in his 900th NHL game. ... Barkov has six goals in his past nine games for the Panthers. ... Jagr has points in four straight games.

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