Karlsson keys Golden Knights' fast start vs. Kings
LAS VEGAS -- William Karlsson scored two first-period goals and Maxime Lagace had 27 saves to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night before a sellout crowd of 18,211 at T-Mobile Arena.
Center Cody Eakin had a goal and an assist, Alex Tuch added an empty-net goal and Reilly Smith notched two assists for Vegas, which improved to 8-1-0 at home. The victory also moved the Golden Knights (12-6-1) to within one point of the first place Kings (12-7-2) in the Pacific Division.
Trevor Lewis and Tanner Pearson each scored a goal for Los Angeles, which lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who entered the game with a 9-6-1 record and 2.31 goals-against average, was pulled after surrendering three goals on nine shots at the 11:22 mark of the first period. It was the fifth straight game that Quick has lost in net.
Darcy Kuemper, who was coming off his first shutout of the season -- a 4-0 win over Florida on Saturday, took over for Quick and stopped 30 shots.
Karlsson gave Vegas a 1-0 lead after just 55 seconds when he came in unimpeded and rifled a shot from the top of the left circle between Quick's pads.
Eakin made it 2-0 when he wristed a shot over Quick's left shoulder to finish a 2-on-1 rush with winger Brendan Leipsic. Karlsson made it 3-0 after just 11:22 when he converted a pass from Reilly, who snuck in to steal the puck from Quick behind the net.
The Kings cut it to 3-1 midway through the second period when Alex Iafallo stole the puck at the blue line and fed Lewis breaking free in front of the net. Lewis then deked Lagace for his sixth goal of the season.
Pearson made it 3-2 at the 11:45 mark of the third period when he fired in a pass Adrian Kempe from the slot for his fourth goal of the season.
The Kings pulled Kuemper with 1:22 to go but did not get a shot off before Eakin stole the puck and fed Tuch, who sealed the win with the empty-net goal.
NOTES: Vegas G Malcolm Subban, out since suffering a lower-body injury on Oct. 21 against St. Louis and activated on Nov. 17, dressed for the game but watched from the bench as Lagace made his 10th straight start. ... The Kings return to action on Wednesday night against Winnipeg at the Staples Center. Vegas, meanwhile, also heads to southern California on Wednesday to play Anaheim. ... D Oscar Fantenberg and C Brooks Laich were scratched by the Kings while D Jon Merrill and C Oscar Lindberg were scratches for the Golden Knights.