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

Defender Noah Hanifin and midfielder Tanner Laczynski scored for the Knights in their home game.

The Kings outscored the Knights (1-1-0) 15-3 in the first period, with Samsonov battling through traffic early and often. Los Angeles finally broke through on the power play at 14:39 when Alex Laferriere scored on the backdoor for a 1-0 lead.

Left winger Tanner Jeannot made it 2-0 20 seconds later on a turnover, receiving a drop pass near the left circle and firing it past Samsonov’s glove.

The Knights struggled through the first 40 minutes with the Kings’ relentless pressure, but got on the board with Hanifin’s rushing goal 2:36 into the second. Kings right wing Warren Foegele made it 3-1 with 8:30 left on a rebound.

Laczynski, a 27-year-old forward who has appeared in 38 NHL games, intercepted a clearance attempt and fired in one by Kings backup goalie Carter George at 5:06 of the third period to cut the lead to 3-2. He also had a secondary assist on Hanifin’s goal.

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

Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 11 of 12 shots in his debut for Los Angeles, acquired in an offseason trade with the Washington Capitals.

It was a busier night than expected for Samsonov, the veteran goalie who signed a one-year deal with the Knights on July 1 to become their new backup. Samsonov played the entire game and looked strong in periods. He performed well in traffic, including a save with an outstretched glove midway through the third period.

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

“I just like him being involved in the game and trying to help out in little situations,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought it was a good night for him.”

This wasn’t a match that would define the positional battle during training camp, but it did provide a first look at some of the combinations that will be closely examined in the coming weeks.

Here are three lessons we learned from the loss:

1. Hertl seems ready

One of those combinations was the line of midfielder Tomas Hertl with Nicolas Roy on the right flank and newcomer Alexander Holtz on the left flank.

Roy, a natural center, was eventually taken off that line. Holtz had two penalties.

Hertl looked good from the start, though. He was strong in battles below the goal line and showed great awareness to reach the right areas for dangerous chances. He even set up Holtz for a backdoor attempt with a pass from the half-wall, but Kuemper reacted in time for his best save of the night.

“The first game is always a little rusty, but definitely didn’t have a great start,” Hertl said. “LA was a little bit all over 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, after the transfer deadline and after recovering from knee surgery.

But after one game, with a full training camp behind him, Hertl seemed comfortable regardless of who was playing in his field.

2. Whitecloud struggles

On the other hand, the battle for the sixth defender position started off with difficulty.

The clubhouse leader right now is Zach Whitecloud, as he got the first chance to skate with Brayden McNabb. Whitecloud had two turnovers in the first period and had questionable angles on plays in his zone.

Kaedan Korczak, who is vying for that spot, had a team-high four shots on goal in 19:03.

Barring any last-minute decisions, the Knights will bring eight defensemen to opening night. With four games left to determine who will skate to McNabb’s right, it could be a revolving door until further notice.

3. Doughty injured

Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty left the court with 12:11 remaining in the first period due to a lower-body injury.

Doughty collided with Knights forward Tanner Pearson along the half-wall and was seen clutching his left knee. He was helped to the locker room and struggled to put weight on it. Doughty did not return to the game.

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