Los Angeles Kings Swedish goaltender Erik Portillo finally got his chance to make his NHL debut and helped his team get the win, 2-1, against the Ducks in Anaheim.
When the Kings placed starting netminder Darcy Kuemper on the shelf with an injury, Portillo was called up from the Ontario Reign, their American Hockey League affiliate. He waited patiently on the bench, backing up David Rittich for a couple of weeks and then got the nod.
Portillo rose to the occasion, playing steady in the first period, stopping 10 shots which included three during the power play. His performance in the first period boosted his confidence which helped him settle in for the rest of the game. Kings defenseman were supporting Portillo by clearing out pucks on the rebound in front of the net.
The only goal scored by the Ducks was on a rebound put-in by Ryan Strome in the second period. With more experience, Portillo will better be able to control the puck on shots to prevent rebound goals.
After the Ducks goal, Portillo would show great composure stopping 28 of 29 shots which included seven on the power play. Most of the saves came against very challenging shots by the Ducks.
Winning on the road in a hostile environment is also a feather in his cap for his debut game.
If this performance is any indication about what Portillo can do, the Kings organization and fans should be looking forward to his future starts in goal.
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