Los Angeles Kings reached the championship with one of the best games of the season after a terrible performance in which they lost 3-2 against the San Jose Sharks. Pacific Division leader Vegas Golden Knights lost 6-3.

In the second half of a back-to-back, the Kings looked like a completely different team. They used their speed, which allowed them to move the puck cleanly up the ice and create opportunities out of the loop, something they hadn’t been able to showcase much before this game.

“I thought we were playing the puck a lot more, I thought we were connecting more from the back end to the forwards, I felt like we haven’t been like that in the last couple of games we’ve played tonight (…) I’m very confident.” forward Adrian Kempe said:.

That urgency and work ethic seen nowhere else against the Sharks was evident last night. Head coach Jim Hiller said he wanted an emotional comeback game from his group and that’s exactly what he got. The Golden Knights have been on their heels many times, and it was important for this team to show that they have what it takes to compete with the best teams and can respond positively after a bad loss. The Kings showed last night that they care, they want to win, and they play the way they want.

“We had to lean in a little bit, we had to challenge them because Vegas is a great team that plays as well as they do, and you know, we didn’t feel good last night (against San Jose) for a lot of different reasons.” hiller said. “We had to provide a response, and we did.”

The Same Players Continue to Contribute

We mentioned that there were some forwards who weren’t getting on the scoresheet as much and their production levels were starting to become worrying. The players who carry the offensive production of this team continued to do so last night.

Warren Foegele, who was brought in in the offseason, has been a pleasant surprise to start this season, using his speed and offensive forechecking ability to score his fourth goal of the season last night to open the scoring for the Kings.

Alex Laferrière It was remarkable. If I had to pick who the Kings’ best forward is so far this season, I’d have my vote. What makes him stand out on the stat sheet is his ability to get into the right areas and complete possessions. He puts himself in the right places to score goals and has no problems putting goals into the net. With his goal last night, he now leads the Kings with six goals.

Kevin Fiala has been one of the talking points of the last few games and after being reprimanded for missing a team meeting, he not only returned to the squad but got back on the scoresheet as well. He had a nice goal in which he slickly dragged his toe before getting the assist as well as getting past Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

Kempe looked like the Kempe we know. He returned to his game created by his pace and used it to create multiple chances throughout the game. He had a goal and an assist, probably could have scored a few more, he was all over the puck.

It was a huge turning point night for the captain Anze Kopitar He recorded his 800th assist in the NHL. He also put the Kings ahead 4-0 with his goal. Kopitar’s dominance continues for years and he leads this team with 12 points.

Relating to: LA Kings Game Notes: Coming off 4-2 Loss to Sharks

Brandt Clarke had an outstanding start to the season offensively and continued his production against the Golden Knights. He recorded three assists and it was the second game in which he did so this season. He looked confident with the puck last night, jumping into the play, getting away from the play area and getting loose, and he’s doing what he’s known to do, and that’s something the Kings need. He’s now a points-per-game player He collected 11 points in 11 matches, the second highest score among all kings. He is also currently the fourth-leading scorer among defensemen in the NHL.

“He definitely got off to a good start in terms of points. He took some risks that helped him get those points, he took some risks that cost us in other aspects (…) there’s no doubt he did a good job, he contributed offensively and we needed that,” Hiller said .

Kuemper Appeared in a Big Way Early

Most of the attention will be on offense as the Kings managed to score six goals, but goaltender Darcy Kuemper made crucial saves throughout the game, especially early on, that could have changed the outcome. In the first half of the first period, the Kings gave away a few bad giveaways before getting back on their feet and Kuemper was able to recover them and keep them scoreless. He made 23 saves for a .885 save percentage, and while that wasn’t a huge number, the goals he scored weren’t necessarily his fault. The Golden Knights’ two goals occurred because players were left wide open in front of Kuemper, and one of them, Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev, hit a ridiculous backhand. Overall, it was a solid night for Kuemper. Not only did he make the saves he needed, but he also made the saves that gave the Kings an early lead.

The Kings improved to 6-3-2 and are now in second place in the Pacific Division. They’ll have a few days off before joining Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks for an afternoon matinee on Saturday.