Cody Eakin sparks offense in Golden Knights’ win over Kings

Cody Eakin has embraced his new role for the Golden Knights as a defensive-minded center on the third line.

He added some offense on Sunday.

Eakin broke a six-game scoreless streak with a goal and an assist in a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena.

“Sometimes it comes a lot more when you’re hot, sometimes it doesn’t,” Eakin said. “So you just want to be consistent, try and do the little things right. Every night win your battles, and the points will show up when they do.”

Eakin has been quiet offensively since he was moved off the top line in favor of Erik Haula prior to the game at Boston on Nov. 2.

In the first period Sunday, Eakin pounced on a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired a wrist shot from the right wing past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick for a 2-0 lead.

Eakin finished with a team-high five shots on goal and added three hits. He now has three goals and six assists in 19 games, matching his goal-scoring output in 60 games last season with Dallas.

“When we made the switch, I talked to him a little bit about it and he said he’s happy where he’s at,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said prior to the game. “He’ll score his share of goals, but he takes pride in playing real good defensive hockey, and that’s what he is.”

Eakin, Alex Tuch and Brendan Leipsic combined for two goals, two assists and 13 shots on goal. Tuch added an empty-netter with 1:02 remaining.

“I think we just kept our energy high and kept playing well,” Tuch said. “Our chemistry showed from the beginning and we just capitalized. We were working really hard and playing simple and we were getting pucks to the net.”

Body blow

Defenseman Brayden McNabb’s primary target on the Kings was defenseman Drew Doughty, and McNabb landed a hard check on his former teammate late in the first period.

McNabb also had a big hit in the second against Dustin Brown, as the Knights matched Los Angeles’ physical play throughout.

“I think I told (Doughty) yesterday or a couple days ago I was going to get him,” said McNabb, who was taken from the Kings in the expansion draft. “It was fun. I got a little smirk on my face. He doesn’t get hit often, so I kind of got lucky and got a spot on him.”

Staying power

The Knights tightened their grip on second place in the Pacific Division with the win and have 25 points through 19 games, one point behind first-place Los Angeles.

Only St. Louis (31 points), Winnipeg (27 points) and the Kings (26 points) have more in the Western Conference. The Knights have beaten each of those teams, too.

“Everyone says, ‘Well, they’re hanging around.’ I don’t think they’re hanging around,” Kings coach John Stevens said. “I don’t think they’re going anywhere. To me, what they’re doing is sustainable, and I think they’re going to be a team that’s going to have to be reckoned with all year.”

Odds and ends

David Perron’s streak of six straight games with an assist came to an end. … The Knights have eight players with five or more goals, the most in the NHL. … Prior to the game, the Kings assigned forward Andrew Crescenzi to Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. Crescenzi, 25, was scoreless in two games with Los Angeles and had two penalty minutes.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.