National Hockey League
Los Angeles 5, Vegas 1
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 8, 2018
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Kendrick Nicholson
Linesmen: Ryan Gibbons, Matt MacPherson
Attendance: 17631

Defenseman Derek Forbort had a goal and an assist as the host Los Angeles Kings defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-1 Saturday afternoon.

Nikita Scherbak, Matt Luff, Jeff Carter and Nate Thompson also scored for the Kings, who won for just the second time in their past six games. Michael Amadio and Jake Muzzin each had two assists, and goaltender Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.

Oscar Lindberg scored for Vegas, which had won seven of its previous eight games. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, making his ninth straight start, stopped 20 of 25 shots. The Golden Knights were 0-for-3 on the power play against the league's worst penalty-killing team.

It was the first meeting between the teams since the Golden Knights swept a first-round Western Conference playoff series last spring.

Lindberg gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 4:23 of the first period. From behind the Kings' net, Tomas Nosek found Lindberg in the slot, and he was able to push a shot between Quick's pads.

The Kings, who entered the game with a league-worst 2.10 goals per game and had scored more than twice in just two of their previous eight games, picked up their offense from there.

Scherbak, making his Kings debut, skated down the right wing and beat Fleury from the top of the faceoff circle to tie it at 1-1 at 8:12 of the first.

The Kings took the lead with two goals in the second period.

Luff scored the go-ahead goal on the power play at 12:30. From the goal line on the right wing, Adrian Kempe found Luff at the top of the slot, and his wrister beat Fleury.

Carter made it 3-1 at 16:46 of the second, taking a strange hop off the end boards and banking it off the skates of both Fleury and defenseman Nate Schmidt.

Forbort scored his first of the season at 2:48 of the third, on a wrist shot from the point that made it through several players.

Thompson scored the final goal at 18:33.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Vegas   Los Angeles
Oscar Lindberg 1 Points Derek Forbort 2
Oscar Lindberg 1 Goals Derek Forbort 1
Ryan Carpenter 1 Assists Michael Amadio 2
N/A Power Play Goals Matt Luff 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Marc-Andre Fleury .800 Save Percentage Jonathan Quick .967
Marc-Andre Fleury 20 Saves Jonathan Quick 29
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Vegas 30 1 0-3 0-1 2 26
Los Angeles 25 5 1-1 3-3 6 26
Upcoming Games
  • Los Angeles will play their next game on the road against Detroit. The Kings have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .450 after a loss.
  • Vegas will play their next game at home against Dallas. The Golden Knights have a W/L % of .412 after a win and .643 after a loss.