Recap: The Ducks took the first lead of the game early in the 1st period. A few minutes later Ben Hutton tied the game with his second goal of the season.
The Golden Knights’ offense really picked up in the middle frame scoring four times. Jonathan Marchessault and Michael Amadio each scored one and Nic Roy scored twice stretching Vegas’ lead to 5-2. Anaheim got a late one in the period to get within two.
The Ducks tightened the score on the power play to close the gap and make it a little tighter than VGK would have liked. But the Golden Knights held on and got a much-needed victory.
The Golden Knights record improves to 31-21-4 defeating the Ducks 5-4. Vegas next hits the ice on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 7 PM at T-Mobile Arena. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: Sometimes you just have a team’s number, and no matter how you are playing coming in, it doesn’t matter. That’s been Vegas against Anaheim for the entire history of the franchise. In this one, the offensive issues faded away for a night and VGK scored every which way possible at even-strength. The defense wasn’t great and made it interesting, but in the end, it was the type of game they needed and now it’s time to build. (Recap by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
- Kevin Iole’s Sunday column… on Saturday!
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Jack Eichel
** Nic Roy
* Michael Amadio
Everyone can breathe now. That was a game the Golden Knights used to put away easily. Tonight, it took every bit of the 60 minutes to get there. But, it's a win, and a much-needed win.
Bums everywhere on the upcoming schedule now. Must take advantage.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) March 5, 2022
The scary thing is Anaheim has hit three pipes too. Not crazy to think they could have allowed 7 tonight.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) March 5, 2022
Tonight is by far the best VGK's forecheck has looked in a long time. Wondering if it's them or Anaheim. We probably won't know until the next few games.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) March 5, 2022
The dam is broken… at least for tonight.
5-2
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) March 5, 2022
Galdom
The positives is that they were able to score some goals and Jack Eichel keeps getting better. Despite being pointless this was Eichel‘s best game yet, he was electric. But there were so many negatives. I don’t even feel like going through every single one.
Two terrible plays in the last minute. What the hell was Brossoit thinking in the last minute where he directed the puck over the glass with his blocker giving Anaheim a face-off in deep. The Chandler Stephenson penalty was absolutely awful as well. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but it sure seemed like they were trying hard to bring that game into overtime.
Pistol Pete
I have very high hopes for Eichel, ones I believe will come to fruition.
Richie-Rich
The problem we have now isn’t Eichel. We don’t have any wingers who can play as well with him on the 1st line.
THE hockey GOD
so much for those who think goalie’s really have “re bound” control, when it’s really a matter of how defense in front of goalie responds to shots deflected off his pads, stick, blocker, glove, skates. etc. EVen HOF announcers like Messier and Chelios agree with me. But we have Gomer in Carolina who thinks he knows better than the experts. What a retread.
THE hockey GOD
To Galdom
nice post,
so much for those who think goalie’s really have “re bound” control, when it’s really a matter of how defense in front of goalie responds to shots deflected off his pads, stick, blocker, glove, skates. etc. EVen HOF announcers like Messier and Chelios agree with me. But we have Gomer in Carolina who thinks he knows better than the experts. What a retread.
from ThG
knights fan in minny
the 2 experts were boring
Daryl
And we have retired professional goalies who talk about rebound control but what do they know because your have your who thinks he knows everything. Someone with such a big ego he thinks of himself as a hockey god but who is really a little boy who can’t control his motions. He’ll, we even have curresbt goalies who have dsid that they need to do a better job with their rebound control.
THE hockey GOD
To pervert stalker, my post was to Galdom , not you. And as usual you spin HOFer talk about rebound control. Get lost you sick fuck.
Daryl
Awww does the poor baby need a hug
Richie-Rich
LOL – blathering on about rebound control not being a thing…..
The point, the only point that matters is yes the defense sucks and the VGK sorely is missing Martinez (who is 34 years old), and that the VGK goaltending is no better than average at best. AVERAGE. What I mean by that is the VGK has to play much much better defensively or score more than 4 goals a game to win.
Not a Stanley Cup recipe at all. Turn the page, there’s nothing to see here this season. But, you can count on McCrimmon to try and fix it before the trade deadline. Let’s give up some more picks along with Smith and Karlsson.
trade
as they say in the ad, “Whew”
Galdom
Was Brossoit drunk? He just wasn’t ready for the game. The first goal was a joke and I guess shit happens sometimes but he didn’t recover at all after that.
That really pissed me off. Looked like he wasn’t even there mentally all night. They need him. Lehner physically appears frail, i’m not sure he is completely over the injury bug this year. Brossoit has to be better to push Lehner. For those of you that really hate Lehner and actually want him to be hurt and put on LTIR, you got a good look at what the alternative is. I was always against the notion of getting rid of Brossoit and using Thompson as the back up to save money but a game like this makes me almost to change my mind. I think we have to keep LB just because Lehner is an injury risk.
Richie-Rich
Lehner, Brossoit, Brossoit, Lehner – It really matters not which one is in goal. They are both average with a lot of inconsistency and holes in their game. Thompson has 2 games under his belt at the NHL level.
Left without a viable option in goal the Bruins elevated Swayman and have ridden him hard to the point where is earlier lack of performance is apparently in the rear view mirror.
Face it, VGK is NOT a cup contender. Period. There is no strategy, no path for the VGK to get to the Conference Championship. They should consider themselves luck to make the playoffs. If they do, I am 90% sure they will be eliminated in the 1st round.
With that said, why not test Thompson? All of this nonsense about comparing Lehner to Brossoit and vice versa is a waste of time. Neither is elite. All night long you could see the VGK defense struggling in front of their goaltender. Indeed the Ducks hit 3 posts. VGK escaped with the win.
Pistol Pete
You stand to be surprised lol.
THE hockey GOD
he’ll change his mind when patches, stone, marty, janmark, mcnab all come off the injured list in time to play in the “second season”
wait for it.
Pistol Pete
“90% sure they they will be eliminated in the 1st round”.
Assuming Pacioretty and Stone return for the playoffs or they acquire another top winger, I would say that prediction is a stretch. In any case we can revisit this when we’re closer to the postseason. Between now and then things can change. For the better or the worse.
Galdom
I actually wasn’t comparing. Lehner has never been that bad. Lehner’s save percentage has never veered into the sub .900 territory this year or ever in his career. I was saying Brossoit looked completely unfocused and although I can’t prove it seems like he may have been intoxicated. From the very first goal he let in to his shakiness and bad positioning it was extremely unprofessional and not something that belongs on Vegas or any NHL team. I hope he never looks like that again
THE hockey GOD
@ Galdom
The Ducks were purposely shooting high on him all night because
he goes down prematurely into the butterfly.
Galdom
Yeah. Apparently that’s the book on him.
Daryl
That’s on the defense… They are supposed to take that area away from the shooters so the goalie only has to worry about a small portion of the net. Come on now, even the famous announcers who never played goalie tells us that
THE hockey GOD
“That’s on the defense…” been saying that from day 1 since team was in this funk. Finally Gomer/goober is catching on. Same applies for “rebound control” . Twelve year olds brains take awhile to kick in it seems.
The experts and HOFers on this end finally agree on something.
Daryl
That is how simple-minded you really are, you don’t even see sarcasm when it’s right in your face my
Richie-Rich
Bullshit. Lehner’s save percentage between 1 Dec and 15 Jan was right about .870.
Pistol Pete
1. I want to see more of Logan Thompson.
2. In the pre-game Darren Elliott hosted an excellent video of an Eichel PP in the BOS game. Eichel was controlling the puck and the others knew not what to do. The Eichel PP is a work in progress.
Pistol Pete
Let us please consider the Ducks are playing hard to make the playoffs and beat the Bruins in regulation on Tuesday. Any team in the NHL is potentially dangerous on any given night just like how ARI beat COL yesterday, also in regulation.
Daryl
You are correct, anybteam can beat another on a given night…. It’s winning the series that are extremely hard to do. And I don’t see the Ducks beating anyone in a series
Pistol Pete
Good point.
Daryl
Well, it was a win
DL
Offense has been an issue especially of late. Goaltending has too often been an issue. Now defense is an issue. Add McNabb to the banged up. And Theodore and Pietrangelo look skittish too many times. Can’t remember the last time these two were heavily involved in the play, ever levelled a hit and shut it down. The team is great at limiting shots overall but can give up chances and goals in bunches and lose a game in a hot minute. Theodore seems to have lost his skating abilities and is out of position or panics with the puck often losing it. I believe VGK is stuck with the offense and goaltending that they have. I would not be surprised that if they make a move it is for a defenseman.
Richie-Rich
The only two hitters on this team are Carrier and McNabb. That’s awful.
THE hockey GOD
@ Galdom and PP and DL
Puck luck returned to VGK last nite, DUcks hit the iron at least three times. They were lucky to escape with two points. Kings luck out in OT win against tough OT team in the Bjackets.
VGK jumps into third place but oilers have game in hand, dallas and smashville have two.
Not good for VGK at this point in time.
trade
some brief points.
Hutton and Amadio have been valuable pickups at min salary.
the Vgk goaltending is mediocre. Thompson needs to get a Swayman chance, a 2019 Binnington chance at it.
I expect some trades that would bring in a winger like Hagel or Lehkonen, and a low cost stay at home dman like Schenn or Chara.
the injuries must heal quickly.
Galdom
I think the VGK is going to miss the playoffs. They just look like crap even against bad teams.
Even though I like Lehner more than most people do he’s not going to give them Vezina caliber goaltending.
THE hockey GOD
@ Galdom
I think the answer to missing the playoffs depends
on 1) March schedule – which will provide more time for team to
come together 2) getting off the injury train trend 3) return of healthy
players 4) salary cap considerations during the point battle.
Barney
People in this board talk like the team needs a HOF goalie like Fleury or something. Strange.
Does Eichel look like a number 1 mcdavid-like draft pick. Nope. Better than pylon Krebs for sure. A matthews, mcdavid etc ? not looking like it.
And besides… it always the goalies fault… even in Vegas
Galdom
If you’ve been on this forum I’m not one of those people to think they need an elite goalie. All I’ve ever wanted was competency which is what Fleury and Lehner provide and have provided in their playoff runs. However, at this point in time with all of the injuries that they have they actually do need elite goaltending to cover up what is missing. They don’t have that.
But you are right. 80% of this forum is about blaming goalies
Daryl
I don’t think it’s 80% that blame goaltending… We blame the goaltending along with the defense and lack of scoring. It just seems like so many are only blaming the goalie because so many are making excuses for the goalie and only blaming the defense. Most of us do believe it’s a combination of things, one of which is goaltending
Craig
Give Thompson the net give him some time. Lehner is well they say”toast” Kolisar um well who knows. Eichel is far and away the best player on the ice but no help. It’s like being in buffalo all over again and by the way they need to score 5 not 4
Richie-Rich
Editorial
nconsistency, lack of chemistry and sporadic periods of a lack of passion to be first to the puck are the symptoms. What’s the diagnosis? Injuries, obviously, is a major problem and the VGK has had more than its share of them this season. That’s the number one issue. When you dig deeper you have to admit that losing the Vezina winning HOFer and going with Lehner/Brossoit has not turned out as planned. I think the hope was that the goaltending would be at least as good, but it certainly has not. On average, the VGK has to score at least 4 or more goals against the better teams in this league. To lay the problem solely on the backs of goaltending is certainly unfair, as you have to take into account the fact that Martinez has been out for most of the year. A solid defender, the VGK misses him blocking shots!
As a Season Ticket Holder (11, Row M, 15&16) the injuries to Stone and Pacioretty are also contributing factors to the VGK problems this season. Stone’s back injury, in particular, could be just the start of a decline depending on the severity. McCrimmon has rolled the dice to bring in some top players who are over 30, and at this point we are not seeing the cost benefit with the team slipping in terms of NHL ranking and Wins/Losses. Eichel is a young guy and obviously is a super star, but that all needs to be weighed against the price tag and potential roster impacts to the team as some of the higher priced players come off of LTIR.
When I step back away from the current week and season and take an overall look at this team from year 1 to present there are several major concerns I have.
The VGK went from a team of misfits who played exciting tilt the ice hockey for 60 minutes. The passion, chemistry and the feeling that they were great was never questioned. Even when the VGK was playing poorly at times, the fan base had faith in Gallant and the Misfits of the Round Table! But then, the “not-a-major” happened. The fan base, I can tell you, was quite upset. We weren’t upset with the team, Fleury or Gallant. We weren’t upset with Eakin either. We were upset that this bad call led to a devastating loss. Apparently the VGK front office didn’t see it that way. Why didn’t Gallant call a timeout? How could the Knights give up 4 goals during that major? Sadly, the “not-a-major” was the beginning of the end for Gallant and the Misfits. When the Misfits fell into a little bit of a funk after Fleury’s Dad passed away the VGK FO apparently lost faith in its coach and its goaltender. I’ve seen it in the military during my 30 year career. Leadership knee-jerking a response to an incident is the standard approach to problems.
Ever since the “not-a-major” we’ve seen knee jerk after knee jerk after knee jerk with the front office trying to make moves to buy a Stanley Cup. Last year, I didn’t think the VGK could get passed the 2nd round but they did. Montreal should have been an easy series, but it wasn’t. The team simply fell flat for some reason.
There are 2 major milestones in the Golden Knights short history. The first was the “not-a-major” leading to a cleaning house of the coaching staff and roster. The second was acquisition of Robin Lehner and the eventual loss to Montreal last season. The Billy Buckner moment by Marc Andre’ Fleury likely sealed his fate.
That Montreal loss was basically the last straw for the VGK FO and led to the team trading away players who, in my opinion, brought the passion, excitement and energy needed to the ice (Fleury, Reaves, and Schmidt). The current edition of Golden Knights is beginning to look like a poor replica of Edmonton. Eichel may be the only forward on the current VGK roster who could play on the Oilers top line. The team is now in CAP hell, has mediocre goaltending, and is a team that is regressing. The fanbase is sitting here mouth agape waiting on what the next major moves McCrimmon may make by the trade deadline.
Like a bad chess player, McCrimmon may be just a few more moves away from being checkmated.
In the meantime, former MisFits (Gallant, Haula, Nosek, Reaves, and others) are all having good years elsewhere. Unlike Lehner, teams are also looking to trade with Chicago for Fleury’s services for a Cup run. Could Fleury wind up in Colorado, Edmonton, or even Los Angeles? Certainly the Capitals are likely in talks.
the REAL TS..REALLY!
Spot on, RR! I also feel your 3 BAD trades, Fleury, Schmidt and Reaves were the carving out of the team that broke the spell. Reaves WAS our Heavy- hitter. He made teams WARY. We got respect. Reavo is now the darling of the Rangers.. Schmidt: the spirit of the Knights. Positive influence on and off the ice. Fleury: his agent screwed him, whether MAF knew it or not. One playoff mistake did not get him traded, but that pic on social media sure as hell pissed off mgmt and Foley, leading to his ouster. He WAS the team leader. And he got dumped for it. All three were most integral pieces of our winning team, yet mgmt saw that damn golden ticket ELSEWHERE. And here we are….
Pistol Pete
R-R, I hear ya and you make a number of excellent points, however:
“Last year, I didn’t think the VGK could get passed the 2nd round but they did. Montreal should have been an easy series, but it wasn’t. The team simply fell flat for some reason.”
So probably there you last season taking your perennial critical skeptical view of the team’s prospects. They thwart your prediction that they would not make it past the second round and then lost in the conference finals to a team you now say they should have beaten. So they advanced to the conference final against your impassioned (my assumption) conviction they would not get that far (they just are not good enough) and here you are again this season as pessimistic as ever. You may be 100% right on this time. Meanwhile I’ll keep my head up and fingers crossed. I also don’t have $13k tied up in tickets probably allowing me a somewhat more leisurely view of the situation!
Barney
Hasn’t taken long for a first time nhl gm to gut this team
Too impatient
Play offs 50/50 right now