The Los Angeles Kings are riding a four-game point streak into a big divisional matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. While it still is only February, this game could loom large by the end of the season, and whether the Kings end up moving up in the Pacific Division or not.
Right now, the Golden Knights are atop the division with 74 points, which is two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and seven points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. However, the Golden Knights have played three more games than the Kings to this point of the season and the points percentage is much closer with the Golden Knights at .649 and the Kings at .620.
This will be the third game this season between the two teams and the series is currently split with the home team winning each game. For the Kings, this should be good news as they are home for this game Monday night and have an impressive 18-3-2 record at home.
Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Kings 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3
This is a game in which the Kings continue their strong play and grab another victory over the Golden Knights on the season. It certainly won't be easy and should be a back and forth contest between the two teams.
One of the big differences in this game compared to the previous two meetings is that the Kings will have Drew Doughty on the ice. The star defenseman missed most of the season due to an ankle injury but is playing some of his best hockey of the season. He is coming off a three-point game against the Utah Hockey Club where he had one goal and two assists.
A win on Monday night will help begin to close the gap with the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division and hopefully start some momentum to the top for the Los Angeles Kings.