Vegas @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2018 ) Los Angeles 4, Vegas 3

Dustin Brown has seen the Los Angeles Kings slowly get their act together despite the team still occupying the cellar of the Pacific Division. After scoring all 10 of his team-leading goals in a 27-game stretch, Brown will attempt to send the Kings to their season-high fifth straight victory on Saturday afternoon when they host the Vegas Golden Knights at Staples Center.

"To get three, four in a row is really good for I think the feeling in the room, the energy level. I think we have to find a way to use that and keep the momentum going the right way," the 34-year-old Brown said after scoring the go-ahead goal just 17 seconds into the third period of Thursday's 2-1 victory over Arizona. Los Angeles responded from being swept by Vegas in the first round of last season's playoffs by winning both encounters thus far versus the Golden Knights, including Sunday's 4-3 overtime triumph. Vegas' Brandon Pirri notched an assist in that tilt and scored midway into the third period of Thursday's 2-1 win versus Colorado, boosting his point total to five (four goals, one assist) in four games since being recalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League. "I'm just trying to contribute every way I can. It's a great opportunity for me, I really don't want to waste it," the 27-year-old Pirri said.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Vegas), Sportsnet1, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, FS West (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (21-15-4): Paul Stastny celebrated his 33rd birthday by scoring a goal and setting up Pirri for the game-winning tally on Thursday, giving him three points in five games since returning from a pronounced lower-body injury. "It's nice. I had some family in town," Stastny said, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "The old man (Hall of Famer Peter Stastny) was in town. It's his first time in Vegas, so I think I'll be more excited about the two points and maybe a birthday drink tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury, who notched his 50th win with the franchise on Thursday, has yielded nine goals on 57 shots versus Los Angeles this season.

ABOUT THE KINGS (15-20-3): Captain Anze Kopitar dented the scoresheet for the sixth time in eight outings on Thursday after collecting his 16th assist and team-leading 24th point against the Coyotes. Drew Doughty set up a goal for the fourth time in five outings heading into the tilt with Vegas, against which he has two of his club-best 19 assists this season. Fellow defenseman Jake Muzzin, who set up a pair of goals in the Kings' 5-1 win over the Golden Knights on Dec. 8, scored against Arizona to give him four points (two goals, two assists) in his last five games.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas sports a 7-3-2 mark against Pacific Division foes despite its struggles versus Los Angeles.

2. Kings C Alex Iafallo, who scored versus the Golden Knights on Sunday, saw his four-game goal streak and seven-game point stretch halted in his last outing.

3. Vegas C William Karlsson (club-best 14 goals, co-leading 29 points) has been held off the scoresheet in both meetings with Los Angeles this season.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 3, Kings 1