The Vegas Golden Knights might be one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, although we have a long way to go and a playoff format that won’t have a whole lot to do with regular season performance. They may not be able to improve themselves too much in time for the trade deadline, and we wonder whether that may turn out to be a problem for them.

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The Los Angeles Kings are a longshot to make the playoff field at this point, and their concerns might be to look toward the future. And that means their netminder of the past may have to take a seat as the goalie of the future takes another turn at the Knights, against whom he’s had some recent success.

The Knights and Kings clash at the Staples Center on Monday night on a day that might bring a lot of news in the NHL,and we think we’re going to make some money at 1Vice on a pick that may surprise you.

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings Picks

Golden Knights vs. Kings Betting Preview

When: 10:08 PM ET

NHL Betting Odds

Money Line: Knights -190 /Kings +165

Total: Over 5.5 Goals -120 / Under 5,5 Goals +100

Puck Line: Knights -1.5 (+130) / Kings +1.5 Goals (-150)

The Golden Knights got a big lift on Sunday with a 1-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes.

Marc-Andre Fleury registered his 484th career victory as a goalie, which ties for #4 on the NHL all-time list. Fleury had actually lost three games in a row and five of his last six, so this performance was certainly welcome.

The Vegas record at the moment is 27-11-2 for 56 points. They still trail the Colorado Avalanche, but they are in second place in the West, five points ahead of the Minnesota Wild.

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Fleury’s record in goal is 18-10 with a 2.07 goals-against. We wonder whether Robin Lehner will get the call in goal in a situation where the Knights are playing the second of back-to-back days.

Lehner has played eleven games this season. In only one of those games has he lost in regulation. There have been two other losses in overtime,with six wins in his last seven. He’s yielded eleven goals in his last six games and has a 2.33 goals-against with a save percentage of .912.

It should be noted that the 36-year-old Fleury has played two days in a row only once this season.

Los Angeles is eight points out of a playoff spot in the West (16-18-6,38 points) and they are expected to be the kind of team that might be a “seller” as the trade deadline approaches.

Cal Petersen was outstanding on March 31 against the Knights, stopping 40 of 42 shots in a 4-2 victory. That was ten days after a 3-1 victory over Vegas. But Petersen has now lost three straight games, allowing ten goals.

There were a lot of calls from fans in the early going for the Kings to move Petersen ahead of Jonathan Quick in the pecking order. He was playing well and not getting a lot of offensive help. He’s actually played more games than Quick, but the 35-year-old veteran, two-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe winner has rebounded from a rough start where he had a 3.67 GAA after six games to post a 2.41 goals-against in his last dozen outings. And he performed very well on Saturday in a 4-2 win over San Jose.

However, he has lost his three starts against Vegas, surrendering four goals in each of them.

And then there is the noise that has persisted about Quick being a trade possibility to some contending team that might need some goaltending depth, with the trade deadline upon us. The question there would involve what the Kings could get in terms of effective role players (considering they have plenty of prospects) and whether they might be willing to eat some of Quick’s salary (around $5.8 million per annum).

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That’s a choice management is going to have to make. As for who’s going to be between pipes in Monday’s game, it shouldn’t be all that hard a choice for coach Todd McLellan.

Vegas has not been a particularly hot team, going just 6-6 over their last twelve contests. And the thing is, they are kind of handcuffed as to what kind of moves they can make before the deadline, since they have almost no salary cap room.

If Petersen gets the call in goal – which is what we’d expect, the home-standing Kings have a real chance here.

The Play: LOS ANGELES +165