ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The early-season problems befuddling the Anaheim Ducks and right winger Corey Perry occurred five months ago, technically speaking.

In another sense, the difference between then and now seems like decades.

Perry scored three goals and added an assist as the Ducks rallied for a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night in front of a sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Honda Center.

Anaheim has compiled the NHL's best record since the Christmas break, 22-4-2, after losing nine of the season's first 10 games and ranking last in the league. Perry did not score until the Ducks' 12th game, while center Ryan Getzlaf had only an empty-net goal in the first 29 contests.

"In big games, he's a good player -- a great player," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said about Perry. "You have to believe guys like Corey and Getzlaf are going to turn it around. Their body of work over the last 10 years has proved that they're going to be that good."

Left winger David Perron added his 11th goal and goalie John Gibson stopped 27 shots as the Ducks (34-19-8) earned their eighth consecutive victory and moved within two points of the first-place Kings in the Pacific Division.

"It's getting closer," Perry said about the possibility of a division championship. "We can see it in our sights now. It's right there. These points mean everything down the stretch. At the same time, we've got to play our style and keep working hard."

Defenseman Alec Martinez and left winger Tanner Pearson scored for Los Angeles, which saw its four-game winning streak end despite 25 saves from goalie Jonathan Quick.

"We made some tired mistakes," said Kings coach Darryl Sutter, whose team played the second of two successive games. "I think guys looked a little gassed. It's going to happen when you get caught in a turnaround against a good team like that."

Perry's third goal of the game and 26th of the season broke a 2-2 tie just 1 minute, 27 seconds into the final period. After receiving a pass from defenseman Sami Vatanen, Perry fired a low wrist shot that Quick blocked with his skate. However, as Quick tried to grab the puck, it popped loose. Perry pounced on it and jammed it inside the right post.

"I got some good bounces," Perry said. "You need those kind of bounces to succeed."

The hat trick was the ninth of Perry's career and his first since Jan. 14, 2015, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

At 5:53 of the third, Perry helped Perron extend the lead with the Ducks' third power-play goal. Perry used his stick to block a pass from Kings center Nick Shore and backhanded the puck to Perron, who sent a wrist shot under the crossbar six seconds after Los Angeles center Tyler Toffoli went to the penalty box.

"It's the same old thing," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said about his team's problems with penalty killing. "It's about getting pucks out, blocking shots and not letting them bend goals in and around the net. They were able to do that."

The Kings (37-21-4) used Pearson's 11th goal to take a 2-1 lead at 9:52 of the second period on an unusual play that began when Gibson backhanded the puck from behind the net to defenseman Simon Despres in the left corner. Despres tried to pass the puck to Vatanen behind the net, but it took an awkward bounce off the boards. Gibson lost sight of the puck, which fell in front of the crease to Pearson, who whacked it inside the left post.

With 2:03 left in the middle period, Perry scored his second power-play goal to tie the score. Defenseman Cam Fowler's shot ricocheted off the glass behind the net to Perry, who stuffed the puck inside the left post.

The Ducks used Perry's first power-play goal to take a 1-0 lead at 16:48 of the first period, 26 seconds after Shore was called for interference.

Vatanen played a pivotal role by faking a shot from the top of the slot, forcing Kings right winger Dustin Brown to commit to a block with his stick. Vatanen then passed to Perry, who skated from the right circle and sent a wrist shot under the crossbar.

Los Angeles responded with its own power-play goal less than three minutes later, when Martinez fired a slap shot from edge if the left circle 24 seconds after Despres went to the penalty box for tripping Brown. Doughty set up Martinez's goal by faking a slap shot that froze Anaheim right winger Jakob Silfverberg before passing to Martinez.

NOTES: RW Kris Versteeg was acquired by the Kings from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for RW Valentin Zykov and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2016 on Sunday night. Versteeg, 29, has played in 63 games with the Hurricanes this season, scoring 11 goals while adding 33 assists. ... Los Angeles scratched LW Andy Andreoff and D Jamie McBain. ... The Kings placed C Jordan Nolan on injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer, D Clayton Stoner and C Harry Zolnierczyk.