Back From Break, Golden Knights Defeat Los Angeles Kings 6-3

The Vegas Golden Knights (21-12) got back to business Tuesday night in their league-leading 33rd game of the season as they defeated the Los Angeles Kings (14-12-5) 6-3. Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals for the Golden Knights and leads the team in scoring with 16 goals this season.

The Golden Knights took it to the Kings with five goals before the halfway mark of the game. This was a perfect revenge game for the Golden Knights who lost 6-2 to the Kings in their last meeting.

Nicolas Hague and Max Pacioretty were able to play and for the Golden Knights but Nolan Patrick, Mark Stone, and Robin Lehner did not suit up. Stone has been placed on injured reserve. Laurent Brossoit got his first back-to-back start as a member of the Golden Knights.

Additionally, with Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer out in COVID-19 protocols, Steve Spott took up the role as the team’s head coach.

The first period saw pure chaos ensue with a total of four goals in 1:16. The Golden Knights scored the first goal of the game on the powerplay with Reilly Smith ending his scoring drought. After a faceoff win, Marchessault fed Smith with a shot-pass for Smith’s first goal in ten games.

Just 26 seconds after the Golden Knights extended their lead with Keegan Kolesar tipping home Ben Hutton’s point shot. This was Kolesar’s second goal of the season and also his first goal in 15 games.

Then just 13 seconds later the Kings cut the lead. A strange bounce of the end boards of Staples Center, (I mean Crypto.com Arena) gave Adrian Kempe a wide-open chance and he buried it. Anze Kopitar picked up an assist on the play and is now second all-time in LA Kings assists as he passed Wayne Gretzky.

The first-period goal festival continued as the following shift the Golden Knights scored once more. William Karlsson ripped a shot off the post and Marchessault followed up on the rebound and scored.

Brayden McNabb also leveled Arthur Kaliyev with a massive hit. It was quite an eventful first period. A fan’s dream but a coach’s nightmare. 

Brayden McNabb hit of the night #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/8sszAqxU0N

— Owen Krepps (@OKrepps85) December 29, 2021

To start off the second period the Golden Knights added salt to the wound. Nicolas Roy fed Chandler Stephenson right in the slot on the powerplay and he scored. Then Mattias Janmark tipped home a point shot from Zach Whitecloud to make it 5-1. 

That would end Jonathan Quick’s night as he gave up 5 goals in 15 shots. Although most of the goals scored on him were a result of sloppy defense in front of the net. Garret Sparks came into the game 2:47 into the second period.

The second half of the period saw a plethora of penalties. Five to be exact. The only goal on any of these chances came shorthanded from the Kings. After Dylan Coghlan turned over the puck, Trevor Moore was off to the races and scored on a breakaway.

In the third Drew Doughty made a bad turnover and Marchessault cashed in for his second goal of the game to make it 6-2. The Golden Knights were able to flip the script from the last matchup against the Kings as they were now the team up 6-2. However, this score didn’t last as Alex Iafallo scored on a wrist shot to make it 6-3.

The Golden Knights were able to close things out and take the game 6-3. They will play next on Friday against the Anaheim Ducks at noon.