Alex Iafallo scored what proved to be the game-winner midway through the third period as the Los Angeles Kings defeated the visiting Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles goalie Pheonix Copley made 23 saves to extend his personal win streak to five games.
Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and two assists, Iafallo contributed two points and Gabe Vilardi scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season for the Kings. Second-place Los Angeles moved within three points of the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights by recording its fourth consecutive home victory.
Michael Amadio and Brayden McNabb scored goals for Vegas, which took just its third regulation road loss of the season (14-3-1). Logan Thompson stopped 21 of 24 shots.
Los Angeles grabbed a 1-0 lead at the 11:57 mark of the first period, taking advantage of a Daniil Miromanov turnover in his own zone. Blake Lizotte picked up the puck and fed Vilardi in the right circle, where Vilardi one-timed a shot past Thompson’s glove side.
The Golden Knights tied it just 71 seconds later on a power-play goal by Amadio. He ripped a one-timer off an Alex Pietrangelo pass from the left circle into the top near corner for his fourth goal of the season.
Vegas took a 2-1 lead at the 10:07 of the second period on McNabb’s first goal in 46 games dating back to April. Reilly Smith set up the score with a between-the-legs pass from the right side of the net to McNabb cutting down the slot, where he jammed a shot past Copley.
The Kings tied a little over three minutes later when Arvidsson found Danault all alone on the right side of the crease. Danault then slapped a shot over Thompson’s left pad for his 10th goal of the season.
Iafallo put Los Angeles ahead to stay at the 8:36 mark of the third period. He finished a rush by taking an Arvidsson crossing pass and snapping a shot from the edge of the left circle past Thompson’s glove side for his fifth goal of the season.
The Golden Knights pulled Thompson for an extra attacker with 1:40 remaining, and Arvidsson sealed the win with an empty-netter with 26.8 seconds left, his 10th goal of the season.
Vegas defenseman Alec Martinez, who entered the contest with a league-leading 131 blocked shots, took an Iafallo slap shot off his right ankle in the first period and did not return.
–Field Level Media
