How the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle the Los Angeles Kings this season

Going through Harry Reid International Airport, I stopped by the new Vegas Born Bar and Grill after a long European trip. I needed to chow down on something after being on nothing but planes for 30 hours (plus, Vegas Golden Knights). The food was excellent and felt like a simple, yet breathtaking concept. 10/10, I would recommend it (especially the bacon cheeseburger).

But that brought up another thought: The NHL season is drawing near, meaning the Golden Knights will compete against 31 other teams for the Stanley Cup. That includes the Los Angeles Kings, a familiar foe in the Pacific Division. They haven't taken kindly to their divisional rivals in recent years, whether it was on the ice or with the fans.

But that's how you can tell hockey season is back. Bitter rivalries are rekindled and the hard hits are coming. It's a great time when the atmosphere calms down, ushering in a season of relaxation and peacefulness. There's nothing like having the NHL return, especially with leagues like the NFL slowly losing its bite.

With that, it's time to focus on the Kings. They'll be another divisional rival that will cause problems for the Golden Knights. However, they're also different from the Edmonton Oilers in their style of play. How so? Let's explore this possibility and see how Hollywood's hockey team will cause problems for Vegas in 2024-25.

How the Vegas Golden Knights should play the Los Angeles Kings this upcoming season

The Los Angeles Kings aren't the Edmonton Oilers by any means. One, they don't have Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl by any means. But they're also a better defensive team, suffocating their opponents in the neutral zone. By taking away and controlling the middle of the ice, Los Angeles can control the puck and maintain possession in the offensive end.

That's where the Vegas Golden Knights should suppress the Kings with their forecheck. Creating turnovers and pressuring Los Angeles will wear them down throughout the game, putting more pressure on the goaltending. That's where Los Angeles isn't the strongest, especially with Cam Talbot's absence (7th in the NHL last season in GAA with 2.50).

But it's likely Talbot was a benefactor of the system put in place (Adin Hill is familiar with this). Trying to push your way through the neutral zone against three defenders is never easy. However, the Golden Knights should stick to what they do best and push the puck up the ice. That way, Los Angeles will be worn down, offering more opportunities for Vegas to pounce.

Watch for Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield

Perhaps the most noteworthy member of the Kings in the past decade has been Anze Kopitar. The Slovenian forward has spent his entire 18 years playing in Hollywood. Here, he's scored 419 goals and 792 assists while winning two Selke Trophies and two Lady Byng Memorial Trophies, making him one of the team's cornerstones.

Last season, he scored 26 goals and 70 points in 81 games, continuing a vastly underrated career for the two-time Stanley Cup winner. But his best work comes from playing with Quinton Byfield, where the two players gel on the same line. When the duo plays together, Kopitar scores 54 goals, 102 assists, and has a plus/minus of +19 in 177 games with Byfield on his line.

That could cause problems for Adin Hill, given the pair's complimentary brand of hockey. That's where the forecheck comes into play, where Vegas generates pressure and closes down any shooting/passing lanes. With this element, Kopitar becomes neutralized and doesn't get the scoring opportunities he's accustomed to seeing. That also means Hill looks like a mountain, becoming impenetrable.