Logan Thompson made 32 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored goals for Vegas, which moved into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Vancouver. The Golden Knights and the Canucks are in a three-way tie with the New York Rangers for most points in the NHL (49).
It was the final game of the calendar year 2023 for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, who are off until New Year’s Day when they play in the Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle against the Kraken.
Thompson snapped a personal two-game losing streak but got plenty of help as the Golden Knights finished with a season-high 34 blocked shots.
Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist and Trevor Moore also scored for Los Angeles, which took just its second regulation loss on the road (13-2-1). Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots.
Vegas, which yielded four goals over a nine-minute span in the first period in a 5-2 loss at Anaheim on Wednesday, jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 7:38 mark of the first period. Eichel, alone by the left faceoff dot, snapped a wrist shot that clanged in off the top far post for his 16th goal.
The Golden Knights made it 2-0 early in the second period when Amadio cut across the slot and roofed a shot over Talbot’s glove for his first goal in nine games. It was his sixth of the season.
The Kings cut it to 2-1 at the 13:07 mark of the middle period. Kopitar, stationed on the right doorstep, redirected Adrian Kempe’s pass from the left point into the top right corner for his 14th goal.
The Golden Knights extended the lead to 3-1 less than two minutes later when Karlsson buried Paul Cotter’s pass from the back wall into the slot for his 15th goal.
The Kings briefly appeared to cut it to 3-2 with 9:58 remaining in the third period when Kevin Fiala slapped in a shot from the left point. However, the goal was quickly waved off for goaltender interference on Moore, who clipped Thompson’s left leg while cutting in front of the net.
Los Angeles pulled Talbot for an extra attacker with 2:35 remaining, and Moore made it 3-2 with 1:59 to go. His sharp-angle wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle went over Thompson’s right shoulder for his 17th goal of the season, matching his career high.
Talbot was pulled again with 1:25 left, but Thompson made a right pad save on Fiala’s wrist shot from the right circle, the best late scoring chance for the Kings.
–Field Level Media
