Golden Knights preseason opens with Hallum’s late push

Jackson Hallum scored twice in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights opened the preseason with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Vegas built a 2-0 lead in the first period before Los Angeles erased it. However, Hallum broke the tie with 5:31 remaining and later added an empty-net goal.

Adin Hill stopped 17 of 19 shots for Vegas. Meanwhile, Viliam Kmec finished with a goal and an assist as Ryan Craig earned a win in his first preseason game behind the Golden Knights bench.

Vegas strikes twice late

The Golden Knights did not generate much early, but they made their first-period chances count.

Los Angeles held a 5-4 edge in shots during the opening period. Still, Kmec broke through at 18:40, with Matyas Sapovaliv and Marc Gatcomb picking up the assists.

Just 44 seconds later, Raphael Lavoie doubled the lead.

Tanner Laczynski and Braeden Bowman assisted on Lavoie’s goal, sending Vegas into the first intermission ahead 2-0.

However, Los Angeles answered almost immediately in the second.

Kings work their way back

Andre Lee cut the Vegas lead to 2-1 just 1:27 into the second period. Kenny Connors and Scott Perunovich assisted on the goal.

Several penalties followed during the period.

Officials called Perunovich for throwing equipment at 4:35. Lee and Gatcomb also received misconduct penalties at the same stoppage.

Later, Adam Ginning went off for elbowing. Officials then called Kmec for roughing at 12:53, while Henry Brzustewicz received a double minor for roughing.

Neither team converted on the power play. Vegas finished 0-for-4, while Los Angeles went 0-for-2.

The Kings eventually tied the game at 12:06 of the third period. Lane Pederson scored from Cole Guttman and Jared Wright to make it 2-2.

Vegas responded quickly.

Hallum finds another gear

Hallum restored the Golden Knights’ lead at 14:29.

Kmec picked up the assist, giving the defenseman his second point of the night. Hallum, meanwhile, used the speed that has become the biggest weapon in his game.

“It was kind of a controlled breakout,” Hallum said. “I was open in the middle, made a play to the middle, and then just drove wide and drove the net and shot five-hole, and it went in.”

The goal also reflected what Craig had emphasized during the first few days of camp.

Hallum said Vegas had worked extensively on its breakouts. When the game tightened, that work started showing up.

“You saw it toward the end in the third there,” Hallum said. “Breakouts won us the game.”

Hallum added an empty-net goal at 18:37. Jakub Demek earned the assist, giving Vegas a 4-2 lead.

The two-goal performance earned Hallum the game’s first star.

Still, he was not interested in looking much further than Saturday.

“I just try to play the best I can, whatever opportunity I’m given,” Hallum said. “I can’t look at the future or anything. I’ve just got to be where my feet are.”