The 26-year-old Swede not only scored three goals, he also provided an assist. His Swedish team-mate Viktor Arvidsson was responsible for three goal passes, two of which to Kempe.
It was the fourth time that Kempe scored a hat trick in his NHL career.
Kempe scored 41 goals in total during the regular season. It is the first time a Kings player has scored so many goals since Luc Robitaille in the 1993-94 season.
For Anaheim, the loss meant that they finish last in the NHL and thus get the advantage of being able to pick first in the draft this summer.
However, Toronto’s William Nylander became the first Swede this season to reach 40 goals. A few hours before Kempe, he scored his 40th goal of the season as Toronto beat the New York Rangers 3–2.
— I probably shot more than usual today to get that 40th goal. It’s nice that I succeeded in the end, says Nylander after the match.