Golden Knights lose in NHL warm-up game against Los Angeles Kings | Golden Knights

Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots on a busy night in his Golden Knights debut, losing their preseason game 3-2 to the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday.

Defenseman Noah Hanifin and center Tanner Laczynski scored goals for the Knights in their home opener.

The Kings had more shots on goal than the Knights (1-1-0) 15-3 in the first period, with Samsonov fighting through traffic early and often. Los Angeles finally got a power play at 14:39 when Alex Laferriere scored through the back door to make it 1-0.

Left winger Tanner Jeannot increased the lead to 2-0 20 seconds later after losing the ball. He received a drop pass in the left circle and shot the ball past Samsonov's glove side.

The Knights struggled with sustained pressure from the Kings for the first 40 minutes, but Hanifin's goal 2:36 into the second period put them ahead. Kings right wing Warren Foegele increased the lead to 3-1 on a rebound at 8:30.

Laczynski, a 27-year-old forward who has played in 38 NHL games, intercepted a breakaway and sank one by Kings backup goalie Carter George at 5:06 of the third period to cut the game to 3-2. He also had a second assist on Hanifin's goal.

“Puck just kind of found me,” Laczynski said. “I just tried to make plays. It was good.”

Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper saved 11 of 12 shots in his Los Angeles debut. He was acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals during the offseason.

It was a busier night than expected for Samsonov, the veteran goalie who signed a one-year contract with the Knights on July 1 to be the Knights' backup goalie. Samsonov played the entire game and looked strong in his appearances. He did well in the crowd and made a spectacular hand-held save on a shot midway through the third period.

The team's defense let him down, especially on the first and third goals.

“I just like that he's out there getting involved in the game and trying to help in little situations,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think it was a good night for him.”

This wasn't a game that would determine some of the position battles in training camp, but it was a first look at some combinations that will be looked at in detail over the next few weeks.

Here are three lessons from the defeat:

1. Hertl seems ready

One of these combinations was the line of center Tomas Hertl with Nicolas Roy on the right wing and newcomer Alexander Holtz on the left wing.

Roy, a natural center, was eventually taken off the line. Holtz received two penalties.

Hertl, on the other hand, made a good impression from the start. He was strong in tackles below the goal line and showed a high awareness of getting into the right areas to create dangerous chances. He even set up a backdoor attempt for Holtz with a pass from the centre wall, but Kuemper reacted in time to save his best save of the evening.

“The first game is always a little rusty, but it definitely didn't start that well,” said Hertl. “LA was pretty superior to us in the first game. As the game went on, I think we got a little better.”

It was a difficult transition when Hertl made his debut for the Knights in April following the trade deadline and his recovery from knee surgery.

But after one game and a full training camp behind him, Hertl seemed to feel confident no matter who was in his lineup.

2. Whitecloud fights

On the other hand, the battle for the sixth defending position got off to a bumpy start.

The clubhouse leader is currently Zach Whitecloud, who is starting first with Brayden McNabb. Whitecloud had two turnovers in the first period and had questionable angles on plays in his zone.

Kaedan Korczak, who is fighting for this spot, fired four shots on goal in 19:03 minutes, the most on his team.

Barring any last-minute decisions, the Knights will enter opening night with eight defensemen. With four games left to determine who will start to McNabb's right, it could be a revolving door effect for the time being.

3. Doughty injured

Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty left the game with 12:11 minutes left in the first half after suffering an apparent lower-body injury.

Doughty collided with Knights forward Tanner Pearson at the centre wall and was seen clutching his left knee. He was taken to the dressing room and had difficulty putting his weight on it. Doughty did not return to the game.

Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.