Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights had some trouble with a particular Pacific Division opponent. They impeded their journey to winning another Pacific Division crown (ultimately, they failed) and were extremely tough on the road. No, I'm not talking about the Edmonton Oilers since they did that later.
And if you thought I was talking about the Seattle Kraken?
Not even close.
Instead, it was the Los Angeles Kings. They posted a 3-1 record against the Golden Knights, dominating them at Crypto.com Arena. Guess what? Those same Kings will be the first opponent for Vegas in the 2025-26 season. That sounds like a bad omen to me...
...But is that really the case? After all, this team did plenty of reinventing during the offseason, acquiring names like Cody Ceci and Corey Perry. The sole purpose was bolstering the middle lines and giving them overall depth. Whether that works out remains to be seen.
But one thing's certain. Those pesky Kings look to be at it again in 2025-26, giving Vegas everything they can handle. That includes Adrian Kempe, who has 10 goals and 19 assists in 36 games against the Golden Knights. Certainly, Vegas can figure out a way to stop him, right?
Looking at the Los Angeles Kings in 2025-26
One thing that stands out with this Kings team is Anze Kopitar. The franchise center is playing his last season with Los Angeles, leaving behind 440 career goals and 838 career assists in 19 seasons. On top of that, he's a two-time Stanley Cup winner, a two-time Selke Trophy winner, and a three-time Lady Byng winner.
All of this makes for an impressive resume for the Slovenian native. What's more is that the 38-year-old had 21 goals and 46 assists last season, making him a key offensive piece for Los Angeles. Will the Golden Knights see a "king-like" performance from the legendary center in his final season? Stay tuned.
One other thing that stands out is the goaltending. Last season, Darcy Kuemper carried the Kings to a playoff appearance with a GAA of 2.02 and a save percentage of .921. All of that makes a 35-year-old goaltender extremely dangerous.
How the Vegas Golden Knights can beat the Kings
That starts with getting a player like Mitch Marner on board. Fun fact: Los Angeles was one of the many teams that wanted Marner's services during the summer. Fortunately, he went slightly further east and wound up in Las Vegas.
That comes with numerous benefits, ranging from having a distributor for Jack Eichel to adding more speed and forechecking. Those added skills will help the Golden Knights against the Kings, especially since Los Angeles is in a transitory time with their roster.
But does that solve the Kuemper problem? Fans can't forget that he's coming back, even if he's part of that aging group. He could continue being pestilent towards the Golden Knights and pitch more low-scoring games...
...That is, if he stays on the ice. Injuries have played a vital role in his career, keeping him off the ice. If Vegas can figure him out (or tee off on his backup), that will make life like a Hollywood ending, only it's in Las Vegas.