Kings Defeat Golden Knights 5-2 in Epic Showdown

The Vegas Golden Knights (34-18-6) were in town to clash against the Los Angeles Kings (31-17-7). Driven by the intense rivalry between these two west-coast teams, it was expected to be a night of bright lights and high-stakes! Darcy Kuemper guarded the net for the Kings while Ilya Samsonov stood tall for the Golden Knights. As the Kings have 18 home games remaining (the most in the NHL this season), they hold an advantage in the playoff race. 

Rolling the Dice in the First Period

In the first five minutes of the game, the Kings were awarded a power-play as Nicholas Hague sat in the penalty box for delay of game. The Kings attempted to capitalize on this opportunity and took possession of the puck to earn the first goal of the night. Unable to do so, the window to score on the power-play ended and soon enough, another Golden Knight was back in the box, this time, their captain Mark Stone for slashing. After what seemed like eternity, Trevor Moore got the crowd going with a tip-in goal, electrifying the atmosphere. By the 8:48 mark, the Kings had outshot the Knights 9-1 as Vegas remained scoreless. Quinton Byfield was sent to the box for hooking against Tomáš Hertl, creating a tense moment for both teams. The first period winded down with the Kings leading 1-0 Golden Knights. 

Second Period Push

The second frame opened with the Golden Knights frustrated of trailing behind 1-0. At the 9:33 mark, Vegas's Brayden McNabb puts his team on the board with a wrist shot, sneaking past one into Kuemper's net. Tied 1-1, the game was now anyone's, with the Knights surging. The buzzer sounded, Stone seals the deal by ending the second period with a tip-in goal to lead Vegas 2-1. 

Final Frenzy

As the Kings scrambled to tie the game, Moore scored his second of the night and delivered a blow to Vegas's hopes. Filled with anticipation and cheers from the crowd, LA tightened their defenses to prevent any more goals, creating a hard-fought defensive stand. At the 11:30 mark, Warren Foegele scored his first of the night and fifteenth of the season with an epic backhand shot that left Samsonov and the Knights stunned. With LA in the lead, the Golden Knights pressed hard for a comeback. In the final minutes of the game, the Kings claimed victory with a slap shot from Joel Edmundson and a backhand from Kevin Fiala, his twenty-third goal of the season. The Golden Knights fell 5-2 to LA, who used their incredible home ice advantage.