Lost Opportunity: Golden Knights Jump Out To 2-0 Lead In First Period, But Lose, 4-3, In OT To LA Kings Friday

Story by Alan Snel     Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

It’s unfair to compare the Golden Knights’ season 5 to the VGK magical inaugural season that culminated with a miracle run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

But after watching the Knights’ uneven play in the first 20 minutes tonight as they host the Los Angeles Kings, it’s clear this year is all about the Vegas squad establishing a team identity amid the injuries and trades that include blending a premier talent like Jack Eichel into a lineup that no longer includes injured Mark Stone.

The Golden Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but ended Friday night feeling frustrated and disappointed after losing, 4-3, in overtime to a hungrier Los Angeles Kings squad. The improved Kings trail second-place VGK by three points in the standings with a game at hand.

“I didn’t love our night,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said after the game. “They were hungrier.”

Eichel worked the puck into the LA zone on a power play and linemate Max Pacioretty eventually swept the puck past Kings longtime netminder Jonathan Quick to open the scoring at T-Mobile Arena Friday.

While the Golden Knights lead the NHL in attendance capacity percentage at 104.1 percent and average an attendance count of 18,076 per game, you can’t help but see empty seats dotting the venue on a Friday night in Las Vegas.

The fans did cheer Reilly Smith taking a soft pass from fellow Misfit Jonathan Marchessault and beating Quick to make it 2-0 in period one.

But seconds later, the Kings’ Andreas Athanasiou blew in on VGK netminder Laurent Brossoit and deked out LB to cut the deficit to 2-1.

After one period, it was Vegas 2 LA 1.

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Chandler Stephenson took an ill-advised penalty at the end of period one and the Kings cashed in a mere 30 seconds into the middle stanza.

LA winger Adrian Kempe fired a bullet past Brossoit and the game was tied at two.

But Pacioretty struck back with his second of the game and 14th of the season.

Eichel notched his first point at a Golden Knights player with the assist and the Knights took the lead back at 3-2 midway through the second period.

 

But the Kings came back. Again.

Phillip Danault scored his 14th of the season with less than three minutes to go in the second period, breaking in on Brossoit and beating LB to knot the game at three.

After two periods, Vegas 3 Kings 3

By the way, the Knights’ video camera guys have captured some nice images of a woman celebrating her 90th birthday tonight. Plus, a couple got engaged and fans report that a man got hit by a puck in the head in the stands.

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The Knights and Kings went to overtime locked at three.

It was LA polishing off Vegas in OT with Kempe tapping in the game-winner to culminate some nifty passing.

Final: LA Kings 4 Vegas 3