Kevin Fiala scored his second career hat trick for the visiting Los Angeles Kings in a 5–1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night, Jan. 7.
Matt Roy and Viktor Arvidsson also scored, Gabriel Vilardi had three assists and Pheonix Copley made 19 saves for the Kings, who beat Vegas for the second time in 11 days. Blake Lizotte added two helpers.
Jonathan Marchessault scored with 2:18 left to deny Copley his first NHL shutout in his 38th start, but Copley improved to 10–2–0 since he was recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League on Dec. 1.
Logan Thompson, the only undrafted player selected to the All-Star Game this season, stopped 16 of 19 shots through two periods before he was replaced by Adin Hill to start the third period. Hill made two saves for the Golden Knights, who had won three in a row.
The Kings took a 1–0 lead at 17:02 of the first period. Fiala spun and shot from just inside the blue line, hitting the net for his 11th goal of the season.
Roy scored short-handed at 9:27 of the second period for a 2–0 lead.
Sean Walker was in the penalty box for hooking Marchessault when Rasmus Kupari brought the puck into the Vegas zone. He sent a soft wrist shot at Thompson, who kicked the puck to the side with his pad, but Roy was coming through the right circle and stuffed the rebound into the goal.
The Kings moved ahead 3–0 at 16:26 of the second period.
A slap shot by Kings defenseman Sean Durzi went directly to Fiala, who had time to settle the puck and shoot it past Thompson for his 12th goal.
Arvidsson extended the lead to 4–0 at 5:45 of the third period.
Phillip Danault had the puck in the Vegas zone and dropped it for Walker. His slap shot was saved, but Arvidsson shot it into the net for his 11th goal.
Fiala scored his third goal in an empty net with 1:27 left for the 5–1 final. It was Fiala’s first hat trick in a Kings uniform.
