Get Alex Turcotte involved in the offense, add an empty net goal to go up 3-1 late in the game, and then skate off with a victory. That game plan worked Sunday afternoon in Ontario and it repeated itself Tuesday night in Vegas for coach Jim Hiller’s squad. While his LA lineups were largely different across those two games, the outcomes were identical.
After posting a goal and assist in Game 1 of the Kings exhibition calendar, Turcotte helped set up Jeff Malott’s game winning goal this time around. The young pivot also played another 1:11 shorthanded — continuing a developing theme during these early days of preseason. Earlier this week, Hiller even admitted to being on a bit of a recruiting campaign during training camp, saying he and the coaching staff want to “find a couple more guys to get into the [PK] rotation,” referring to Turcotte and Alex Laferriere as prime candidates.
Like Carter George’s performance on Saturday, newly signed netminder Anton Forsberg came through clutch between the pipes, stopping 32 of 33 shots.
About the only real area of concern for the Kings on Tuesday came at the faceoff dot, where they combined to only win 45% of the draws.
Six different LA players tied for the team lead in shots (three each), including newly added rearguards Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci. Both veterans finished the night with a plus-2 rating, as well.
It wasn’t just the seasoned NHL defensemen getting it done either. Get ready for this stat. LA’s top selection at the 2025 NHL Draft, Henry Brzustewicz led all Kings in power play time, getting 2:30 of action with the man advantage.
Meanwhile, highly touted prospect Liam Greentree must have felt like he was already back in the OHL. It was a typical multi-point night for the young winger, assisting on the first two Kings goals. Additionally, he was the only player in the game to have more than one point on the night. It’s also worth noting, Greentree was one of only a small handful of players Hiller opted to have skate in his second consecutive preseason game. Will he get back in again on Wednesday in Anaheim?
Until then, enjoy some game highlights from Vegas:
Pregame notes and lineups for both teams can be found in the article linked below.
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