Pesky goaltending that bent extremely hard, but didn't break. A 1-3-1 structure that stymied the Vegas Golden Knights. Timely scoring that stole points from Vegas. Once upon a time, these things could be summarized between two hockey teams from October 30, 2024, to January 14, 2026. The Los Angeles Kings won four straight games against the Golden Knights during that time.
Golden Knights fans couldn't figure out what was wrong with the team during those games. During that stretch, the Kings exploded for 23 goals, dominating Vegas at every juncture. However, that all changed on that fateful night on January 14.
An overtime winner by Mark Stone 25 seconds into the period reversed the momentum for the Golden Knights. Mind you, Vegas overcame Brandt Clarke's game-tying goal with a minute and 27 seconds left in the third period. The next two games? Vegas won the next two games.
Game | Result |
|---|---|
January 14, 2026 | 3-2 VGK (OT) |
February 5, 2026 | 4-1 VGK |
February 25, 2026 | 6-4 VGK |
Suddenly, the tides have turned. The Golden Knights have a three-game winning streak against Los Angeles, outscoring them 13-7. Let's not forget that the Los Angeles Kings added Artemi Panarin along the way. Yes, that Panarin that nearly scored 50 goals in 2023-24 with the New York Rangers (he scored 49, bang bang).
The big question is whether the Golden Knights can keep up that momentum against a formerly annoying team. Now, the boys in gold are annoying royalty and have turned the tables. But how can they continue that budding hot streak against Hollywood's hockey team? Let's break it down like D-Generation X and look at what plagues Los Angeles.
How the Vegas Golden Knights can continue annoying the Los Angeles Kings in 2026-27
The Los Angeles Kings enter the 2026-27 season as the NHL's oldest team. They have an average age of 30.75, marked by players such as Corey Perry (41), Mats Zuccarello (38), and Erik Haula (35). In fact, a majority of their pickups were well past the 30-year-old mark, bringing plenty of sluggishness to the team.
With that, the objective is simple: create turnovers and make Los Angeles pay in transition. Last season, the Kings had the 12th-most giveaways in the NHL (1,286) and had to rely on careful puck-play to keep the offense going. That was partially why Los Angeles had the fourth-fewest team goals in 2025-26 (220). Of course, fans can look at players like Mark Stone and Mitch Marner as being perfect for the job.
Stone has an incredible knack for picking pockets and starting the transition game for Vegas. He's capable of reading opposing offenses and acts accordingly, using his hockey smarts to outmaneuver his opponents. Marner plays similarly, only he's younger and faster. That makes him an absolute problem for the Kings.
The Golden Knights can put their stamp on their rivalry with the Kings by dominating them in 2026-27. Sure, Vegas isn't younger by too much (average age of 29.95, fourth-oldest in the NHL). But leaning on your smarts and speed in specific areas will make this a winnable regular season series.
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