In many ways, LA and Vegas can be the tale of two different cities.
Similarly, the two games played between the Kings and Golden Knights this season have been polar opposites. Opening night in Los Angeles featured an old school beat down by the home team with the Kings coming out on top 6-2. It was a coming out party for coach Todd McLellan’s new-look lineup that mid-October evening, including a goal by newly acquired Phillip Danault. However, it was the old guard that led from the front. Anze Kopitar had a hat trick, while Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty also chipped in goals, as well.
Their second meeting came more than two months later, just after the Christmas break. It was again played in Los Angeles, yet it was the visitors who turned the tables. For one of the rare times this season, Jonathan Quick was pulled after giving up five goals and the Vegas Golden Knights went on to win 6-3. Jonathan Marchessault provided two of those goals, with Chandler Stevens and Keegan Kolesar providing some of the additional offense.
Friday’s game was originally to be played just before Christmas, but had to be rescheduled. It now serves as the first of two matchups in Vegas before the 2021-22 regular season wraps up in April.
Even with the Kings loss to Edmonton on Tuesday, they remain within striking distance of the Golden Knights in the standings. LA enters tonight trailing by just four points, with a game in hand.
Pacific Division standings
2.18.2022LA in Vegas tonight.
Kings sit four points back of VGK with a game in hand. A win tonight would go a long way toward their playoff hopes. pic.twitter.com/lbq5VBLGMo
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) February 18, 2022
After tonight, the two Pacific Division rivals will meet only once more during the regular season; a game in Vegas on Saturday, March 19.
LA KINGS PROJECTED LINEUP vs. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS on 2/18
Iafallo – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Grundstrom – Byfield – Brown
Lemieux – Lizotte – Kaliyev
Other options: Athanasiou
IR: Andersson
Anderson – Doughty
Maatta – Roy
Björnfot – Durzi
Other options: Moverare
Quick (starter)
Petersen
On the Vegas side of things:
Laurent Brossoit is the expected starting goalie. He earned the win when the two teams played in December.
VGK switching the lines up a bit again
Pacioretty-Eichel-Stephenson⁰Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith⁰Janmark-Roy-Dadonov⁰Carrier-Howden-Kolesar
Hague-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hutton-Coghlan— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) February 18, 2022
KINGS MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Anze Kopitar – needs 28 points to pass Dave Taylor for third on the Kings all-time scoring list
Dustin Brown — 6 goals away from passing Bernie Nicholls for fifth place in Kings franchise history
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm PST tonight and the game will be televised on Bally Sports.
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