Trevor Moore's hat trick sends the LA Kings to a 5-2 win over Seattle. The Kraken are eliminated.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Moore scored three goals for his second career hat trick, and the Los Angeles Kings snapped their three-game skid while eliminating Seattle from the Stanley Cup playoff race with a 5-2 victory over the Kraken on Wednesday night.

Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala also scored and Cam Talbot made 21 saves for the Kings, who pulled within one point of Nashville for the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference by ending their longest losing streak since the 1-6-4 midseason skid that cost coach Todd McLellan his job.

Despite dropping three games in Canada over the previous week to fall out of third place in the Pacific Division, Los Angeles is now five points ahead of St. Louis for the second wild card in the Western Conference with seven games to play.

“We knew the game was important for us,” Moore said after coming through with his first hat trick since November 2022. "Wasn’t our best road trip, and it wasn’t a masterpiece tonight but we stuck with it and got it done.”

The Kings took control with two goals in just over four minutes of the second period by Moore, who then finished off Seattle on a slick breakaway with 3:03 to play.

“It's the coolest thing ever, ”Moore said of the subsequent shower of hats from Kings fans.

The Thousand Oaks native improbably leads Los Angeles this season with 29 goals. That’s 12 more than Moore's previous career high and more than all of his elite offensive teammates.

“It feels vindicating, I guess," Moore said. “But most importantly, it just feels good to be able to play as many games as I have so far this year. Hopefully all 82.”

Pierre-Luc Dubois had three assists for the Kings, who are three points behind Vegas for third in the Pacific. Just one of Los Angeles' final seven regular-season opponents is currently in a playoff position.

“When you’re not feeling great because you didn’t get those points (on the road), you’re a little bit worried how you are going to come out and play," Kings coach Jim Hiller said. "I thought our guys were composed. They came out believing in themselves, played hard to a man, and got the result they wanted.”

Andre Burakovsky and Brian Dumoulin scored in the third period for the Kraken, who will miss the playoffs for the second time in their three seasons of existence.

Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 shots for Seattle, which won 46 games and made its postseason debut last year as a wild card before stunning Central Division champion Colorado in the first round. But the Kraken have only 31 victories this season with seven games to play.

“We’re playing for other things here,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We’re disappointed with the outcome today. We left some of our effort on the table. I don’t think our effort was poor, but we left too much in the tank here today. You have to evaluate it for what it is, both individually and collectively. It’s good to be able to come out and have a push in the third, but that needed to start at the start of the hockey game today, and that’s where we fell short.”

Kempe put the Kings ahead on a power play midway through the first period with with a quick wrist shot in the slot off a pass from Viktor Arvidsson for his 24th goal.

Moore scored in the second when he redirected a long shot by Matt Roy. Dubois then found Moore driving the net just over four minutes later, and Moore scored on his own rebound when Grubauer couldn't corral the puck under pressure from Arvidsson.

Burakovsky scored Seattle's first goal on Oliver Bjorkstrand's cross-crease pass during a power play midway through the third.

Fiala scored his 26th goal with 9:15 to play on a breakaway created by Blake Lizotte's diving stick deflection of Will Borgen's attempted slap shot, but Dumoulin ended his 25-game goal drought just 35 seconds later to keep it close.

“Whenever you play a team like LA, you can’t give them anything easy, and we did that tonight,” Dumoulin said. “They didn’t have to work for their chances, and they capitalized on the opportunities that they got. ... Just obviously a couple of turnovers, a couple of breakaways. Just little details. They’re a good team, and when they get chances, they’re going to score.”

Kings forward Phillip Danault, who normally centers Moore's line, missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Moore moved onto a line with Dubois in his absence.

UP NEXT

Kraken: At Anaheim on Friday.

Kings: At San Jose on Thursday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle, left, shoots the puck past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings left wing Trevor Moore, right, celebrates his goal with left wing Viktor Arvidsson during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer, right, deflects a shot as Los Angeles Kings center Blake Lizotte, center, and defenseman Will Borgen watch during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, left, shoots the puck as Los Angeles Kings defenseman Andreas Englund defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, second from left, celebrates his power-play goal with left wing Viktor Arvidsson, second from right, and left wing Kevin Fiala, right, as Seattle Kraken defenseman Will Borgen skates away during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, top, falls over Seattle Kraken left wing Andre Burakovsky during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

DENVER (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver on Monday night.

Christian Braun was long on a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left, and Nikola Jokic, who recorded his 19th career playoff triple-double, grabbed the rebound but also missed a 3, with 1 second remaining.

The Clippers, who lost Game 1 in overtime, haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 2-4, a stretch of 23 games, and they handed David Adelman his first loss in five games since replacing Michael Malone in a stunning move on the eve of the playoffs.

Jokic, just the third player to average a triple-double over a season, had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and Jamal Murray added 23 points for the Nuggets, who also got a bounce-back game from Michael Porter Jr. (15 points and 15 rebounds) after his 3-point performance in Game 1.

It wasn't enough against Leonard, who had 21 points at the break, including a pull-up 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer that broke a 52-all tie.

Leonard also had a key steal of a Jokic pass with 37 seconds remaining in the game, but Harden missed at the other end and Braun grabbed the defensive rebound with 11 seconds left.

The Nuggets committed 20 turnovers — the same number the Clippers had in Game 1 — and missed eight free throws. “That was a killer,” Adelman said.

Jokic had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers and missed 4 of 10 free throws.

Things got chippy in the third quarter when Norman Powell got away with a push and Murray grabbed hold of him. Official Tyler Ford quickly stepped between the two, but Powell and teammate Kris Dunn were whistled for technicals, as was Braun. Because two of the technicals were on the Clippers, the Nuggets got a free throw and Murray sank the shot to pull Denver to 68-67.

The Clippers rolled into the playoffs as the league’s hottest team, winning their last eight games and 18 of their final 21 before losing Game 1 Saturday night 112-110.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue spoke before tip-off about the need to pick up the pace for Game 2, but the Nuggets outscored L.A. 14-3 in fastbreak points in the first quarter, just two points shy of their season average. Yet, they didn't get anymore fastbreak points the rest of the game and L.A. finished with 18 points on the break.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, top right, looks to pass the ball to guard James Harden, bottom right, as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, center front, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32), forward Michael Porter Jr., center back, and center Nikola Jokic, right, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, top, drives to the basket as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, bottom, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Michael Porter Jr., center, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, right, drives past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)