A Quick exit for the Kings, lopsided victory for Ducks

Apparently, David Perron just needed to get out of Pittsburgh.

One of the newest Ducks was the difference-maker in the latest chapter of the Ducks-Kings rivalry Thursday night, producing his first three-point game of the season to lead the Ducks to a 4-2 win at Staples Center.

The winger, acquired last month in a trade with the Penguins, combined with center Ryan Getzlaf for five points. Getzlaf scored his first even-strength goal of the season and set up Perron in the first period for the 500th assist of his career. Perron has eight points in six games with the Ducks.

“I think it’s all about him, to be honest with you,” Perron said of Getzlaf. “Finding me all over the ice. Making the right plays.”

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter rarely makes a goalie switch in the midst of a period but he did so Thursday, pulling starter Jonathan Quick for backup Jhonas Enroth after the Ducks’ Ryan Garbutt made the score 3-0 at 2:41 of the second period.

Quick gave up three goals on nine shots. The first Kings goal came on a fluke, on the power play, as defenseman Drew Doughty’s shot bounced off Tyler Toffoli’s leg and popped over Ducks goalie John Gibson.

It was Toffoli’s 23rd goal, matching a career high. Defenseman Alec Martinez had the other goal for the Kings, scoring with 23.8 seconds remaining in the game.

“The whole game wasn’t the way we wanted it and I’m pretty sure it showed to everybody in the arena and [everybody] watching saw that,” Toffoli said.

“We just didn’t play the way we wanted to play. We were turning pucks over and when you’re down, 2-0, 10 minutes into the game, it’s tough to come back.”

For the Kings, it was their fourth loss in six games and teams are creeping into view of their rear-view mirror in the Pacific Division. The race tightened again with the San Jose Sharks and the Ducks winning and the Arizona Coyotes grabbing a point in an overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Anaheim is on a 12-3-1 run since Christmas and leads the Coyotes by a point for the third and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Kings’ lead has dwindled to seven points over the second-place Sharks.

Perron and Getzlaf have established the chemistry that Ducks fans are used to seeing from the long-established duo of Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

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Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (15) unleashes a shot past sliding Kings defenseman Alec Martinez for a goal in the first period.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf celebrates his goal against the Kings with Chris Stewart and another teammate in the first period.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Ducks left wing David Perron, center, scores against Kings goalie Jonathan Quick and right wing Marian Gaborik on Feb. 4. Perron and Gaborik are two of the many injured as the playoffs open.

  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Ducks left wing David Perron, right, trips while under pressure from Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb during the first period.

  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Kings goalie Jonathan Quick reaches to stop a shot by Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen in the first period.

  (Mark J. Terrill / AP)

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Kings left wing Kyle Clifford tries to beat Ducks goalie John Gibson and defenseman Sami Vatanen during the second period.

  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Kings goalie Jonathan Quick exits the game against the Ducks in the second period when trailing 3-0.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm reacts after scoring a power-play goal against the Kings in the second period.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Kings Coach Darryl Sutter reacts after Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm scored in the second period.

  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm checks Kings center Anze Kopitar during the second period.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Ducks center Nate Thompson, left, and Kings center Anze Kopitar battle for the puck during the third period.

  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

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Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg controls the puck against Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb during the third period.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

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Ducks goaltender John Gibson celebrates the 4-2 victory over the Kings with left wing David Perron and defenseman Hampus Lindholm.

  (Harry How / Getty Images)

But Ducks General Manager Bob Murray, who seems to be working all hours, pulled off a trade on Jan. 15 close to the midnight hour, sending underachieving Carl Hagelin to the Penguins for Perron.

The new surroundings seemed to work almost immediately for Perron, who had gone 19 games without a goal in Pittsburgh before the trade. He scored in his first game with the Ducks, a loss to the Kings on Jan. 17, and Coach Bruce Boudreau put him with Getzlaf near the end of that game and they’ve been together since then.

“He’s a puck-handler,” Getzlaf said. “He [Perron] hangs on to the puck. He’s strong on it. He plays a lot like Pears [Perry] to tell you the truth and they’re both kind of pests out there.”

Said Perron: “For all those years, they played together: Getzy got his 500th assist. Probably it was Pears [Perry] that would be on the plaque for the 500 assists … for all the goals they scored together. It’s an unreal moment. That was a great pass from him.”

The game marked the return of Kings left wing Kyle Clifford, who had been sidelined since suffering concussion symptoms following a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 6.

Clifford played on the fourth line, logging 11 minutes of ice time. He was able to get in some action at the American Hockey League level, appearing in two games with the Ontario Reign over the weekend.

“We’ve got 14 guys now, touch wood,” Sutter said after the morning skate. “Everybody gets an opportunity. It’s not like you’re taking any opportunities away. We’re trying to give everybody an opportunity.”

Follow Lisa Dillman on Twitter: @realllisa