Golden Knights Lose Fifth Straight Division Game, Dropping 5-1 Uncompetitive Decision To LA Kings Before 18,339 Saturday
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
The Las Vegas Raiders mailed in a dismal 31-13 defeat to rival Kansas City Chiefs to end their underperforming season Saturday afternoon and the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t do much better at night .
The LA Kings came to town and applied the defensive clamps on the VGK with a 5-1 win over the division-leading Golden Knights.
It was the Knights’ fifth straight loss to a division foe, including losses to the Ducks and Kings last week. (At least the UNLV men’s basketball team delivered a big win Saturday, an 84-77 triumph over 21st-ranked New Mexico at The Pit.)
The Kings’ win ruined VGK coach Bruce Cassidy’s revamped lineup featuring a quartet of centers on their four lines — Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson and Nic Roy.
Plus, key starters Jonathan Marchessault and Alec Martinez returned from injuries.
But Cassidy, after the game, was clearly ticked off at the Knights’ lack of competitive intensity. He said it was the VGK’s worst competitive game of the season.
In the first period, the VGK had a great chance to open the scoring.
The Golden Knights had some, well, golden Grade A scoring chances — like a three on zero when Reilly Smith could not even put a return pass on goal. Plus, fellow Misfits William Karlsson (on a power play) and Jonathan Marchessault fired nice shots that hit the post behind Kings goalie Pheonix Copley.
The Kings ended up scoring when veteran winger Kevin Fiala turned around and fired a shot that beat VGK All-Star goalie Logan Thompson.
In the second period, Matt Roy scored on a rebound for a short-handed goal and the Kings led, 2-0, midway through the middle stanza.
Later in the second period, the Kings won a corner battle to keep the puck and worked the puck around to Fiala who scored his second of the night. It gave the Kings a 3-0 lead over the Knights.
In the third period with Thompson replaced by backup Adin Hill, the Kings’ Viktor Arvidsson scored the Kings’ fourth tally. Marchessault spoiled the shutout. Fiala added an empty-netter for the hat trick as a few caps were tossed onto the ice.
Final: Kings 5 Knights 1. The Knights are 27-13-2 for 56 points, while LA improved to 23-14-6 for 52 points.
After the game, VGK winger Mark Stone said the team will be back on its horse for the next game after the Knights struggled with moving the puck through the neutral zone and the forecheck.
