The Golden Knights and Blues have locked up three times this season. All three games have been on the crazy side, with two going to overtime and the team leading at the end of the 1st period losing all three.
In five games at T-Mobile Arena, the Blues and Golden Knights have gone to overtime in four of them, with Vegas winning all four. In fact, Vegas has never defeated the Blues in regulation in nine tries.
Jonathan Marchessault became the first player in Golden Knights franchise history to score a game-winning OT goal twice against the same team.
In the three games this year, there have been six lead changes and eight game-tying goals scored. In the Sharks/Golden Knights playoff series last season, there was a total of one lead change in the entire series. In the Jets/Golden Knights Western Conference Final series in 2018 the lead never changed in five games.
In all three games, St. Louis has scored three straight goals in the game, yet Vegas has been able to overcome it two of the three times. Also, the Blues scored first in all three games. The Golden Knights record when they concede first is 9-16-6, yet they are 2-1-0 vs STL. When Vegas trails after one period, they are 6-14-2, but also 2-1-0 against STL.
There have been 26 goals scored between the two teams in the three games for an average of 8.7 goals per game. The average in all Golden Knights games this season is just barely above six.
Plus, here’s some other crazy stuff about just last night’s game.
- Highest scoring VGK game of the season (11 goals) (tied franchise record)
- First game in VGK history with 2 lead changes in 1st period
- Second-time VGK has scored 4 power play goals in a game (vs TBL on 12/19/17)
- First time a team has allowed 4 goals to the same player and won since 2016 (Ottawa beat Toronto, Auston Matthews 4 goals)
Plus, the series has had the David Perron vs Ryan Reaves drama, Oscar Dansk’s first career NHL win, William Karlsson’s first goal as a Golden Knight, and both Perron and Stastny have scored for both teams against both teams.
There are two ways in which this could be a potential playoff matchup, either as a 1st round division winner vs wild card or as a Western Conference Final. It’s not quite San Jose/Vegas or Edmonton/Calgary, but from a strictly hockey standpoint, everyone should be rooting to see these teams matchup up come April or May.
Mike G
Obviously the type of game a coach doesn’t love but from a pure entertainment standpoint I’ll take a game like that any day of the week! I emotionally exhausted when it was over
Tim
Looks like were talking to the Sharks about Brendon Dillion which only makes sense he played for Pete and would fit in nicely. Knowing the Knights if they can’t extend him there won’t be a deal. Alec Martinez should also be on there radar another defensive D -Man with experience. I think those two pickups would put us in good shape. Martinez has one more year on his contract in an affordable 4 million dollar range. We could trade Holden and Merrill, retire England give him a job in the organization and moe on. I’m not sure how much demand there would be for Cody Eakins but he’s not bad and someone may want him.
Walt
Hopefully a change for the defense is coming. As one of the Tampa Bay players said last night, we have success when we make the other team think we have 6 skaters out there instead of 5. For the VGK, it frequently seems like there are 4 skaters out there during the 5 on 5. When the opponent makes 10-15 consecutive passes, a goal is usually coming soon.
Tuch needs to go back to school to learn the basics of shooting, passing, accepting a pass and defending. The guy has talent, but plays like a bull in the china shop. He got hurt last night while crashing the net without knowing angles and when to put the brakes on. He is a turnover and icing machine as well. Best wishes he recovers.
Eakin needs to be pulled out of the lineup.
Need help in the net, but I doubt we will see any trade deadline news in this area. We love our guys, but we need help in the net now. Can we at least bring up a goalie giving Subban some time in the AHL to see if there is any potential for a star to be lurking. You never know if one of the young guys will rise up. It seems to be happening for other team as the VGK are making backup goalies look like Ken Dryden.
Saves
from ESPN—–
The No. 1 reason NHL coaches get fired? Goaltending, of course! Of the bottom 10 teams in save percentage this season, six of them have made coaching changes: San Jose (29th), New Jersey (28th), Nashville (27th), Minnesota (25th), Vegas (24th) and… https://t.co/sD0UMpnM6Y
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Vegas 24th in goaltending. That is pathetic. and don’t try to pretend that it is all because of some weak defensemen….proof is that the Knights have allowed about 200 fewer shots than teams like Vancouver, Calgary, Arizona, Chicago, NYR etc
but those teams all have save % FAR HIGHER than the Vgk. Vgk=.898
Van=.910 Cal=.909 Ari= .917 Chi= .911 NYR= .908
Those are not exactly juggernaut defensive teams, and yet their goalies can still stop the puck.
DeBoer was fired because his team in SJ could not get a save, and Gallant was fired because his Knights goalies are sieves, and DeBoer is now dealing with the same problem again.
the SJ pk is at the top of the league, and yet their goals against is at the bottom. Vgk is near the bottom in Pk, and that is a clear indictment of the 2 goalies, and Engelland and McNabb, who play more than anyone on the Pk.
bottom line is that the goaltending has to be WAY better than it has been this season so far, for the Knights to get a good playoff spot and a good playoff run.
Saves
Jesse Granger—–
The Golden Knights lead the NHL in most shots from the slot per game (25.1), & allow the fewest slot shots per game on defense (14.9). Their stats are elite. Why isn’t the team? As season winds down, Golden Knights need results to start matching process
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well, I guess that completely verifies my post. The Knights porous goaltending is absolutely the main problem.
Likable coach got fired because of failings of likable goalies. Time for sympathy to be set aside. Gallant took the fall , but now the accountability should be placed squarely on the Vegas netminders.
Tim
It was interesting during the game our announcers made an interesting comment. They pointed out ST. Louis plays every game like it’s a playoff game Hello shouldn’t we play like that. I can never figure out this nonsense we didn’t have our legs, we had some passengers tonight, no puck luck , we got tired on the road, we were tired when we got home always something. ST. Louis has the right idea play hard every night no excuses. Time to get in that frame of mind and quit all the excuses. You think Pete Rose ever took a day off? They didn’t call him Charlie Hustle for nothing. Time to man up Knights for what you make and the fan and city support you have your not keep your end of the bargain. And as Bill Murray once said Thats A Fact Jack.