Head-to-Head: Vegas Golden Knights vs Los Angeles Kings
Vegas Golden Knights | Head-to-Head | Los Angeles Kings |
Bruce Cassidy | Head Coach | Todd McLellan |
24-11-1 (1st in Pacific Division) | Standing | 19-12-6 (2nd in Pacific Division) |
| Leaders |
|
Chandler Stephenson (36) | Points | Kevin Fiala (35) |
Reilly Smith (17) | Goals | Gabriel Vilardi (14) |
Chandler Stephenson (27) | Assists | Kevin Fiala (25) |
Jack Eichel (17) | +/- | Mikey Anderson (8) |
Jonathan Marchessault (3.46) | Shots (Per Game) | Trevor Moore (3.11) |
Vegas Golden Knights vs Los Angeles Kings Predictions and Picks
The Vegas Golden Knights will travel to Los Angeles to face the Kings for the second time this season. These teams faced each other on Opening Night, and the Golden Knights snuck out a 4-3 victory behind a Mark Stone game-winning goal with 26 seconds to go. The Golden Knights are having an excellent season and in the top spot in the Western Conference. On the other side, the Kings are in second place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.
The Golden Knights are an electric squad when healthy. Their offense has a knack for scoring, and defensively, the Golden Knights often hold their opponents to three goals or less. However, the Golden Knights are playing shorthand and will be without Zach Whitecloud, Brett Howden, Shea Weber, Jonathan Marchessault, and Paul Cotter. The losses of Howden and Cotter are not huge, but Whitecloud, Weber, and Marchessault are important pieces for this team.
The Golden Knights are a dangerous squad because of how many options they have. Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, and Alex Pietrangelo are all killers with the puck and can make any opposing offense pay. Stephenson leads the team with 36 points, Stone has 15 goals, Eichel has 13 goals and a +/- of 17, Marchessault is injured but phenomenal when healthy, Smith leads Vegas with 17 goals, and Pietrangelo has 22 assists. Each player has their own skill set, which makes them so dangerous.
Logan Thompson is the main netminder in Vegas. Thompson is decent but not an elite goalie. His ceiling is high, but he is inconsistent. If Thompson figures out how to consistently perform well, Vegas could become a top-three team.
The Kings are a decent squad but struggle defensively and have below-average goaltenders. Offensively, they hold their own and can battle with the best of them, but their defense and goaltending need a lot of work.
The Kings have fewer weapons than the Golden Knights but still have some studs in Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, and Gabriel Vilardi. Fiala leads the Kings in points (35) and assists (25), Kopitar plays over 20 minutes a game and has 29 points, and Vilardi is the Kings’ leading goal-scorer at 14.
The Kings’ employ the goaltending duo of Jonathan Quick and Phoenix Copley. Copley has been solid in his short time in LA but is still unproven, and Quick is an aging veteran and a shell of who he once was. The Kings will struggle in the Playoffs with these two as their netminders.
If the Golden Knights were healthy, I would tell you to bet on them. However, they are missing some key players and on the road. Bet on the Kings.
Why Might the Vegas Golden Knights Win?
The Golden Knights are not expected to win but can if they draw penalties and overwhelm the Kings with shots.
The Golden Knights have the eighth-best power play unit in the league and convert over 26% of their opportunities. This unit must spend a lot of time on the ice and get as many chances as possible to score.
The Golden Knights will be facing one of Los Angeles’ two subpar goaltenders in this game. They should take advantage of this and shoot as much as possible. If they do, the Kings’ netminder will mess up, and a puck will slip in.
Why Might the Los Angeles Kings Win?
The Kings are the favorites but will only win if they score first and involve Kevin Fiala.
The Kings are much healthier than the Golden Knights but still need to make intelligent decisions. One of those smart decisions would be coming out aggressive and looking for their shot. If Los Angeles does this, they may score first and greatly improve their chances of winning.
Kevin Fiala is the top passer on this Kings’ roster. He knows how to set up his teammates and improve his offense. Fiala’s teammates should hit him with the puck and let him work his magic.
Golden Knights Key Players: (C) Chandler Stephenson
Chandler Stephenson is a talented player and a force on the ice. However, more importantly, he is coming off a huge game against the St. Louis Blues. Stephen finished the game with one goal, three assists, and one shootout goal.
Stephenson needs to take advantage of the previous game and bring his A-game again to this matchup. He can be the x-factor Vegas needs if he is at his best.
Kings Key Player: (C) Gabriel Vilardi
Gabriel Vilardi is the leading scorer on the Kings and will have plenty of opportunities to score tonight. Since Vegas is missing a couple of key defensemen, Vilardi should have more opportunities to score goal #15.
Vilardi must be aggressive and look for his shot. If he is aggressive in each period, he will score a goal.
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