The Vegas Golden Knights (28-16-14) pulled off an improbable come-from-behind 6-4 win against the Los Angeles Kings (23-20-14) Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Golden Knights were without five of their best players, but a patchwork lineup came together to secure a critical two points and extend the club’s lead in the Pacific Division.
The difference in the game was a three-goal burst from the Golden Knights in the third period, with two goals coming in the span of just 65 seconds. It was part of a larger five-goal effort in the final frame, which allowed the Golden Knights to secure their third consecutive victory and beat the Kings for the third time this season (3-0-1).
The Golden Knights were without Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin, all of whom were out of the lineup after competing in Sunday’s gold medal game.
That being said, the Golden Knights got a few players back from injury, including Brayden McNabb, Colton Sissons and Brandon Saad. All three players found the scoresheet, as both Sissons and Saad scored, while McNabb recorded two assists. Notably, recently-recalled forward Tanner Laczynski recorded a game-high three points, and Braeden Bowman, Pavel Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith all finished the game with multiple points.
But it was Dorofeyev, Vegas’ leading goal-scorer, who opened the scoring 11 minutes into the contest with his 27th of the season.
It was a full-line goal by the newly-formed trio of Dorofeyev, Smith and Laczynski, as Smith chipped the puck off the boards to set up a 2-on-1 for his linemates. Laczynski’s shot missed wide, but Dorofeyev put the puck in the net after collecting it off the boards.
The Kings answered on the power play 3:32 later when Artemi Panarin — making his Kings debut — sent a pass that deflected off the skate of Quinton Byfield in the slot.
The Golden Knights controlled play in the first half of the middle frame, at one point leading 6-0 in shots. But the Kings’ more talented roster took hold of the momentum towards the end of the period.
A turnover at Vegas’ blue line resulted in an odd-man rush the other way, and that talent went to work.
The Kings converted at 14:44 on an outstanding passing play, with Panarin collecting his second assist of the game and Anze Kopitar securing the primary helper to set up Adrian Kempe’s 21st of the year. The go-ahead goal gave the Kings their first lead of the night, which they took into the third period.
But the Golden Knights responded in a massive way in the third period, lighting the lamp five times, including three times in the span of just 4:14.
First, Sissons tied the game at 2-2 at 8:07 on the rebound off a Bowman shot.
Saad followed suit with a snipe at 11:16 for his third of the year, and Smith scored on the backhand just 65 seconds later to make it 4-2 at 12:21.
But the Kings did not go down without a fight.
In fact, Byfield answered with his second of the night 65 seconds later when a favorable bounce behind the net put the puck right on his stick.
The frenetic pace continued when the Golden Knights got their second man-advantage of the game after Panarin was called for roughing against Jeremy Lauzon.
This time, it took less than 65 seconds, as Dorofeyev scored his second of the game 49 seconds into the power play. His 28th of the season restored Vegas’ two-goal lead with 4:01 remaining in the third.
But with just over a minute remaining in regulation, the Kings pulled within one once more, as Brandt Clarke scored on a redirect to make it a 5-4 game with the 6-on-5 tally.
However, Ivan Barbahsev sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 29 seconds left, giving the Golden Knights the 6-4 win.
The Golden Knights pulled off an impressive win.
In their first game following an extended break, the team was missing five critical players, including half of the top-six forwards. Vegas was on the road and was going up against a team that (despite losing Kevin Fiala for the season during the Olympics) was excited to debut its newest star player in Panarin.
But the Golden Knights weren’t fazed, and everyone contributed.
Sissons and Saad both lit the lamp with key third-period goals, and McNabb was excellent in his return to the lineup. He was aggressive offensively, involved in the play and noticeable throughout the contest, finding the scoresheet multiple times.
Dorofeyev continues to be Mr. Consistent for the Golden Knights with another two goals to add to his resume.
Hill finished the night with 15 saves on 19 shots for a .789 save percentage, though he did enough to help a shorthanded Golden Knights team pick up another win.
Despite being sleep-deprived, Bruce Cassidy also had a noteworthy night and was a factor in the win.
The Golden Knights were without five of their best players and are still missing William Karlsson and Brett Howden, among others. However, the Golden Knights showed up with a gameplan, and they executed. They played a simple but effective road game and then took over the game in the third period.
It was a little too close for comfort, with Los Angeles pulling back within one multiple times. The Golden Knights may have started to bend, but they did not break. Instead, they delivered a solid team performance to keep the winning streak alive.
The Golden Knights will be back in action Friday night against the Washington Capitals. All five players who represented the United States and Canada in the Olympics are expected to be back in the lineup.
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights