The Los Angeles Kings have come out of the All-Star break with a surge, lighting up the scoreboard with 10 goals in two games. Their latest statement win was a 5-2 comeback victory over the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights last Monday that showcased their offensive firepower and resilience.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the third period, the Kings erupted for four unanswered goals, led by Quinton Byfield’s career-high four-assist night. Byfield became just the fifth player in franchise history to record four assists in a game before turning 23, joining an elite group that includes Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Luc Robitaille, and Butch Goring. “I thought our team had to kind of look within a little bit to decide what that third period was going to look like,” head coach Jim Hiller said after the game. “Nobody expected to come out and score four goals.”
The win brought the Kings within five points of the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division standings. While Vegas has dominated divisional opponents this season (14-1-1), they’ve struggled against Los Angeles, dropping two of three meetings.
Drew Doughty, one of the longest-tenured Kings, also made headlines in the team’s first game back from the break, scoring his first goal of the season in a 5-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club last Saturday night. Despite being outshot and losing the face-off battle, the Kings capitalized on Utah’s mistakes, winning the turnover margin by 10.
With a 19-4-2 record at Crypto.com Arena, which is the fewest home losses in the NHL, the Kings wrap up their three-game homestand tonight against the Vancouver Canucks before hitting the road for a tough three-game stretch, starting Friday in Dallas. Unfortunately, the Kings lost to the Canucks 3-2 in overtime last Wednesday.
With momentum still on their side, the Kings hope to continue to play at a high level. If that happens, they could soon be knocking on the door of the division lead.