The LA Kings skated to a thrilling victory to open their account for the season, as they came back to win 6-5 in a shootout over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday evening.
The Kings took advantage of the game’s first power play as forward Andrei Kuzmenko gave his team an early 1-0 lead. The visitors capitalized by going long on the zone entry and executed to perfection, with forward Kevin Fiala finding forward Anze Kopitar with a stretch pass down the left wing. Kopitar delayed before feeding a trailing Kuzmenko in the slot, where the Russian winger buried his first goal of the season.
After the teams skated two minutes at 4-on-4, Kings forward Quinton Byfield exited the penalty box and extended the lead with a terrific individual effort. After working to force a turnover at the offensive blueline, Byfield worked his way in alone on Vegas goaltender Adin Hill, deked to the backhand and scored on the glove side for his first goal of the season and an early 2-0 lead.
Just over two minutes into the second period, Vegas got on the board through forward Pavel Dorofeyev. After the Kings lost possession of the puck in the neutral zone, Dorofeyev came back the other way with speed and beat Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg with a shot from just outside the right-hand circle, off the post and in, for his first goal of the 2025-26 season and a 2-1 scoreline.
Against the run of play a bit, the Kings pushed back with a goal from the fourth line off the rush. Forward Jeff Malott led the rush through the neutral zone before he dished off to forward Alex Turcotte on the right wing. Turcotte fed forward Joel Armia in the slot, where he fired towards the net, with Malott getting the final deflection past Hill on the blocker side for his first career goal in the National Hockey League.
Shortly after Malott's goal, Turcotte was assessed a major penalty late in the second period and Vegas scored twice, tying the game at three heading into the second intermission.
First, skating 5-on-4, Dorofeyev buried his second goal of the game as he finished at the back post after a pass across the front of the crease from Vegas captain Mark Stone set him up in a dangerous position. Then, after an Alex Laferriere minor while shorthanded, the Golden Knights scored again in similar fashion to tie the game at three, as Dorofeyev completed his hat trick.
For the first time in the game, Vegas took the lead at the 5:06 mark of the first period. The Golden Knights attacked through the neutral zone with speed, as forward Ivan Barbashev led the rush before dishing to forward Mitch Marner on the right wing. Marner fed forward Jack Eichel in the slot, where he one-timed a finish past Forsberg and in, as the hosts pulled ahead by a goal.
The Golden Knights made it 5-3 with a tic-tac-toe goal off the rush to open up a multi-goal advantage. Attacking again in transition, Vegas executed on three consecutive passes as they worked towards the net, with Eichel eventually feeding Barbashev for a tap-in goal at the back post, Eichel’s fourth point of the game, as the Golden Knights pulled ahead by a pair.
With momentum seemingly all with the Golden Knights, forward Trevor Moore scored a shorthanded goal to bring the Kings back within one. Moore used his speed to pull away from the Vegas backcheckers before he worked his way into the slot, pulled the puck onto his forehand and used his trademark quick release to finish high on the glove side for his first goal of the season.
The Kings tied the game at five just over two minutes later, completing a thrilling 10-goal affair in regulation. Attacking off the rush with speed, forward Quinton Byfield took the puck from forward Andrei Kuzmenko barreled his way to the outside down the left wing, gaining just a half step of space in the process. Byfield fired a hard pass towards the crease and defenseman Brandt Clarke drove the net and buried from close range to tie the game with his first goal of the season.
After overtime came and went without a goal, the Kings went on to win the game in a shootout. Moore and forward Adrian Kempe scored in the shootout before Forsberg denied Marner in Round 3, closing out a thrilling 6-5 victory.
