Kings Steal 6-5 Victory From Knights

After a win in overtime last night and 2 necessary points secured, the Los Angeles Kings (33-20-9) flew to Nevada to battle the Vegas Golden Knights (39-18-6). David Rittich led the team out while Adin Hill manned his net. 

Sin City Matchup

It was a clash between the City of Angels and Sin City as they battled neck to neck for dominance of the west. In the opening period, the Kings had displayed a sense of agility regardless of having played a game the previous day. At 8:38, captain Anže Kopitar scored his second goal within a 24-hour span with a swift tip-in. Hill displayed a series of exceptional saves, highlighting his impressive glove work. However, that was no match for the Kings' persistent scoring attack. As the period came to a close, Brandt Clarke snuck a backhand past Hill's net, extending the lead to 2-0. 

Battle of the Pacific

As if a 2-0 lead wasn't enough, Quinton Byfield shot one into the net of the Knights to seal the deal for the Kings. Moments later, Samuel Helenius squared off with Nicholas Hague, resulting in a 5-minute major. However, the Kings' momentum ended as Nicholas Roy's backhand found its way past Rittich's net. Inching closer, Tomáš Hertl then scored a wrist shot, his twenty-fifth of the season, to narrow the gap down to 3-2. At the 1:11 point, Warren Foegele shot his eighteenth of the season with an assist from Philip Danualt, putting the Kings ahead by 4-2. With the Golden Knights two goals away from a tie, the third would bring a flurry of excitement, intensity, and a nail-biting showdown. 

Back for More in the Desert 

The final twenty minutes was underway, with both teams battling fiercely for possession of the puck. Trailing by two, the Golden Knights were tense and visibly frustrated. Los Angeles had managed to effectively keep the puck out of their zone and straight into the rival's net. Trevor Moore's quick snap shot pushed the Kings to a 5-2 advantage at the halfway mark, putting the home team in a difficult position and crushing any chance of a comeback. Vegas wasted no time to capitalize on their power play as Hertl scored his second of the night. The Kings were granted a power play opportunity to solidify their lead, followed by a tripping penalty on Victor Olofsson. Adrian Kempe blasted a snap shot on the power play to make it 6-3. That didn't stop Vegas from a bounce-back as Brandon Saad narrowed the gap to two goals. With two minutes to spare in regulation, the Knights were down by one goal as Hertl's hat trick had the fans on their feet. A wild 60-second frenzy witnessed the Kings pull off a dramatic 6-5 victory against all odds.