Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore scored in the shootout as the Los Angeles Kings rallied to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 6–5 on Wednesday night, overcoming Pavel Dorofeyev’s hat trick and Mitch Marner’s much-anticipated debut in a Golden Knights jersey.
The Kings, playing their second game in as many nights after losing their season opener to Colorado, showed no signs of fatigue despite blowing two-goal leads earlier in the contest. After trailing 5–3 midway through the third period, Los Angeles stormed back with late goals from Moore and rookie defenseman Brandt Clarke to force overtime.
Andrei Kuzmenko, Quinton Byfield, and Joel Armia also scored for Los Angeles, while goaltender Anton Forsberg made 30 saves and stood tall in the shootout to seal the win.
Dorofeyev was sensational for Vegas, recording all three goals in the second period — the third hat trick of his career. Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev added third-period tallies to give the Golden Knights a comfortable two-goal cushion before the Kings’ late surge erased it.
Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $108 million contract extension earlier in the day, finished the night with a goal and three assists. Captain Mark Stone and newcomer Mitch Marner each contributed two assists in Marner’s first game since joining Vegas.
Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill stopped 21 shots but remains winless against Los Angeles since joining the team. The Kings, meanwhile, continue to have Vegas’ number — no NHL team has defeated the Golden Knights more times, now holding 19 wins over them.
Up Next:
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Kings: at Winnipeg Jets, Saturday
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Golden Knights: at San Jose Sharks, Thursday