Thursday, January 9, 2020 10:00 PM (ET)

Fast-starting Kings defeat Golden Knights

Field Level Media
Jan 10, 2020

Jack Campbell finished with 44 saves and Adrian Kempe scored two goals as the Los Angeles Kings jumped out to a 4-0 first-period lead and then held on to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2, on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist, and Alec Martinez and Ben Hutton also scored goals for Los Angeles, which snapped a three-game losing streak despite being outshot 36-5 over the final two periods.

Reilly Smith and Max Pacioretty scored goals for Vegas, which remains tied for first place in the Pacific Division with Arizona.

Malcolm Subban had 18 saves for the Golden Knights, who have allowed four goals in four straight games for the first time in franchise history.

Vegas, which fell behind 3-0 in back-to-back games against St. Louis and Pittsburgh, fell behind 4-0 in the first period, just the second time this season the Golden Knights allowed four goals in a period.

Martinez made it 1-0 at the 13:40 mark with his first goal in 45 games, firing a slap shot from above the left circle that beat Subban on his glove side.

Hutton followed 81 seconds later with his second goal of the season and first in 35 games, also blasting a slap shot from the left point that went through the legs of Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt in front of the net and past Subban's blocker side.

Toffoli scored his 12th goal of the season to make it 3-0, scooping up a puck off an Anze Kopitar faceoff in the left circle and then firing a wrist shot past Subban's glove side at the 18:44 mark. It was Kopitar's 600th career assist.

Kempe increased the lead to 4-0 when he dove headfirst and knocked in a rebound in the crease for his ninth goal of the season with 3.6 seconds left in the period.

Vegas, which heard a smattering of boos at the end of the first period, dominated the second period, outshooting the Kings 24-3, including 17-0 in the first 12 1/2 minutes, while cutting the Los Angeles lead to 4-2.

Smith started the comeback with his 18th goal of the season, jamming in his own rebound inside the left post. Pacioretty followed 56 seconds later with his team-leading 20th goal off a pass from Paul Stastny.

Kempe ended the scoring with nine seconds left when he fired a shot right off the face-off draw through Subban's pads.

--Field Level Media

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