Golden Knights sweep Kings with Game 4 win

LOS ANGELES -- The Vegas Golden Knights became the first NHL team to sweep a Stanley Cup Playoff series in its inaugural season with a 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round at Staples Center on Tuesday.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves for his second shutout in the best-of-7 series. The Golden Knights joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1970 as the second NHL team to sweep its first playoff series.

"Everybody contributes to our success," said Fleury, who had a 0.65 goals-against average and .977 save percentage in the series. "We roll four lines, six D are playing, and I think that's what makes our strength, is everybody contributing and adding to our success every night."
WATCH: [All Golden Knights vs. Kings highlights | Complete Golden Knights vs. Kings series coverage]
Brayden McNabb scored for the Golden Knights, who will play the San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Second Round.
"It's been incredible," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. "It's two good teams, and I guess basically we got a little bit more puck luck than they did and we cashed in at the right times."

Jonathan Quick made 20 saves for the Kings, who are 0-5 at home and 1-8 in their past two playoff appearances since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014.
All four games in the series were decided by one goal.
"That's what the playoffs are all about," said Kings center Anze Kopitar, who was denied of the tying goal when Fleury robbed him with a glove save at 7:15 of the third period. "They are all close. Coming in, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the League, and they mustered up, what was it, seven goals all series?
"It's not like we were blown out of the water. [Quick] gave us a chance every night back there, but we just couldn't find the back of the net."
McNabb scored at 4:04 in the second period on a one-timer from the right circle. It was the first NHL playoff goal for McNabb, who played 201 games for the Kings from 2014-17 before he was selected by the Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft last June.

Reilly Smith and William Karlsson had the assists, but it was Jonathan Marchessault's pass that started the sequence and allowed the Golden Knights to cleanly and quickly exit their own zone for a 3-on-2 rush.
Smith has three assists during a three-game point streak.
The Kings controlled the start of the game, outshooting the Golden Knights 8-1 in the opening 7:20. But Vegas was able to withstand the early charge, thanks to some timely saves by Fleury and several blocked shots.
Los Angeles scored one goal in the first period in the series.
"Like we thought, they came strong and came hard," Fleury said. "I thought we defended well and in the second we took over and took control of the game."

Goal of the game

McNabb's goal at 4:04 of the second period.

Save of the game

Fleury's glove save against Kopitar at 7:15 of the third period.

Highlight of the game

Fleury's save against Dustin Brown at 9:25 of the third period.

They said it

"I don't think to try to keep the fairy tale is pressure. I think a lot of people back home are just excited that the fairy tale is still living." -- Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
"I felt like we got a little bit better in the first game at home, and I thought tonight was our best game. Limit the other team, the amount of scoring they had, you usually give yourself a chance to win and tonight we had some really good looks with the right people with the puck on their stick there." -- Kings coach John Stevens

Need to know

Fleury passed Dominik Hasek for 11th place on the NHL's all-time list with his 66th career playoff win. He tied Terry Sawchuk for ninth place with his 12th career playoff shutout. … The Kings scored three goals in the series, a franchise low. They were held to five goals by the St. Louis Blues in a four-game sweep in 1969. … Quick had a 1.55 GAA and .947 save percentage in the series.

What's next

Golden Knights: Host Game 1 of Western Conference Second Round against the San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Ducks, TBA
Kings: Season over