In their first of three games against the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, fans got everything and more out of the two teams. Regulation wasn’t enough between the two foes after six regulation goals were split three apiece following 60 minutes of play.
In an opening period that saw the Kings outshoot the Golden Knights 14-9, it was also the Kings who had the advantage in the goal department. Rookie Alex Laferriere found the back of the net for the second time in his young career when he followed up on a rebound created by linemate Pierre-Luc Dubois. As Dubois drove to the net carrying multiple Golden Knights players with him, Laferriere found a loose puck in the slot and doubled his career goal total while giving the Kings a 1-0 lead. Laferriere, who turned 22 today became the third Kings rookie and 26th player in franchise history to score on his birthday.
Leading by one goal after the first 20 minutes, the Kings then doubled their lead with a Trevor Lewis goal 4:54 into the middle stanza. The Kings fourth line again found the scoresheet after the veteran won a net-front positioning battle and knocked in a rebound past Logan Thompson off of a Mikey Anderson shot. The goal from Lewis came in his 900th career game and was his second in three games. In response, the Golden Knights notched a pair of goals before period’s end and sent the game into the third period tied 2-2.
All squared, it was the Golden Knights who took the lead in the third period with a Mark Stone power-play goal. Stone’s goal was his second of the season. Now down a goal, it was deja vu all over again as Drew Doughty one-timed home a goal late in the third period for the second night in a row. Doughty found twine with 1:03 remaining in the game, eventually sending the game into overtime as each team guaranteed themselves a point each.
Into the 3-on-3 overtime, the Kings killed off a two-minute Golden Knights power play and sent the game to a shootout. There, a Jack Eichel goal was the difference in the shootout as no King could find the back of then net in three attempts giving the Golden Knights the extra point.
