Let's be blunt for a second. The Vegas Golden Knights have stunk lately against the Los Angeles Kings. Hollywood's premier hockey team has won four straight games against Vegas, keeping them at bay. That's not good for the people of Las Vegas, especially when they know that they're better than the Kings.
While that's all sad and stuff, the Golden Knights can hang their hats on a couple of things. First, the Kings haven't been good. Entering Monday's slate of games, Los Angeles has gone 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Compare that to the Golden Knights, who've won four straight.
Second, Vegas has all the superstars in the world. That includes Jack Eichel, Mark Stone (who can't stop racking up the points), and... Mitch Marner. All these megastars give Vegas the firepower it needs to make the hockey world burst into tears of disappointment and dread. Oh, how it feels to be the "king", eh?
But let's focus our energy on Marner for a second. After all, he has a goal and five assists in his last four games. One can say that he's en fuego right now. In fact, let's see how he's done all-time against the Kings.
While looking at these stats, you'll probably be surprised. You might wonder, "man, how does he do this?" Or perhaps you won't be surprised. Your pick.
Mitch Marner has two goals and 14 assists all-time vs. the Los Angeles Kings
One thing that you'll notice from reading that headline is that Mitch Marner only has two career goals against the Los Angeles Kings. Two goals! That's enough to make Toronto Maple Leafs fans write hateful messages online about the Golden Knights' superstar.
But digging deeper into the stats, you'll notice something that sticks out. The Golden Knights winger also has 14 assists, along with a plus/minus rating of +1. In fact, his last three games have seen him notch six assists.
His biggest game stat-wise came last season with the Maple Leafs. On October 16, 2024, Marner had three assists in a 6-2 rout of the Kings. What's ironic about this is that the Markham native wasn't one of the three stars in that game. Those honors went to Bobby McCann (two goals), Auston Matthews (one goal and two assists), and William Nylander (one goal and one assist).
Marner has only had six games where he didn't register a single point against the Kings in his career. If we broaden the scope of Marner's statistics against Los Angeles, he's done exceptionally well in the last nine games. He has one goal and nine assists in that span, making him a dangerous weapon.
Lately, the Kings have had the Golden Knights' number. Los Angeles has a 4-1-0 record against Vegas (including 23 goals in those four wins), making them a royal pain in the arse...
But have Marner, will travel! That's why you pay superstars like him to end such streaks. He's capable of making his teammates better, setting up scoring opportunities for his linemates.