Recap: In the second of a two game road trip the Golden Knights headed north to frigid Edmonton. The Oilers came out flying scoring twice in the 1st period including a Connor McDavid wondergoal. The Golden Knights had three power play opportunities but couldn’t capitalize on any of them.
The Oilers continued the onslaught in the 2nd period scoring a couple more meaning Vegas found itself in a 4-goal hole for the second straight night. Tomas Hertl was able find the back of the net on the power play to cut the deficit to three. The 2nd period would end 4-1.
VGK came roaring back in the 3rd period starting with another power play goal, this time from Pavel Dorofeyev. Then, when Bruce Cassidy stuck Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, and Hertl together, they were all over the Oilers and Marner eventually stuck in Vegas’ 3rd goal. They looked dangerous all the way until the final horn but couldn’t find the equalizer.
The Golden Knights’ record drops to 16-8-10 falling to the Oilers 4-3 in Edmonton. Next up, the Golden Knights are coming home for the holidays. The first of a four game homestand against the Sharks on Tuesday. Puck drop is at 7 PM. (Recap by Ken)
Analysis: For the first half of the game it looked like the two-time defending Western Conference Champions were toying with a Golden Knights team missing two of its best players. EDM’s PP struck a few times, they were all over VGK at 5-on-5 and the Golden Knights appeared dead in the water. Then, the tide turned and the Golden Knights took over. Their execution turned up a ton and they got right back in it. They couldn’t find the game-tying goal but if the game lasted a few more minutes they probably would have, because they were buzzing. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.
- No clue but we’ll figure something out after that crazy game
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Noah Hanifin
** Tomas Hertl
* Mitch Marner
larry
Glad to see them playing desperate and effective hockey, but not glad to see them playing the way they played until they started playing desperate hockey.
Im not one for moral victories at the professional level, but in this 1 case it may have possibly saved their season, as what very much looked like a 7 or 8-0 complete wipeout, one that could have had serious immediate and long term repercussions. may have just provided the kick in the butt they have sorely needed.
TS
Yes. Complete meltdown avoided
. There’s still some FIGHT in the team, despite the missing players.
. I honestly didn’t expect a W last night, after playing the night before, and it sure looked like a blowout, but they fought back and prevented that embarrassment..
Really tough with the missing pieces.
As PP says: on to the next one!!
Leonard Wise
The excuses from this board is amazing. If there ever was a time to beat this team it was today. Edmonton is comming off a back to back 5 games in 9 days and had a 4th string goalie against a superior goalie in Hart. But Mc David knew to jump on this team and showed us what a superstar looks like. Mitch not so much, Hertal was our best player. I’m sure Edmonton ran out of gas along with vgk having 5 power plays against this goalie. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. They didn’t show up for the first period last night and did the same tonight. This notion that we’ll we came back is the talk of losers.
Pistol Pete
“But Mc David knew to jump on this team and showed us what a superstar looks like. Mitch not so much, Hertal was our best player.”
Really Marner a primary assist on Hertl’s PP goal and one of his own 5 on 5 to get within one and that is not superstar play 38 pts in 36 games? I have not seen the game but rarely does Hertl outclass Marner. Sure he has a few more goals this season so far but that is not the point. Not just the offense he consistently creates Marner is way better defensively than Hertl. Hertl is a very good player he’s big and can play a significant role in winning a Cup but he’s nowhere near the complete player Marner is including being less impactful on the score board.
SMH
Well, I sure am glad that we have a real winner like you around to lecture any “losers” who dare to point out that we rallied from a big deficit and nearly plulled off a great comeback (on the road, on the 2nd half of a back-to-back with travel, playing without 4 injured players who comprise about 1/3 of our salary cap). I suppose we should all be punching holes in the wall of our houses after any VGK loss, right?
Leonard Wise
They were on the second night of a back to back 5 games in 9 days on the road with a 4th string goalie.
Leonard Wise
Hertal was the prime assist on Marners goal. Also Marner just passed it to Hertal and he made a play. Nothing special. He can pass all he wants so can Stone so can Eichel so can Hanifin so can Theadore. He gets points on the powerplay great. The problem is this team needs a dominant goal scorer and he’s not it. Sure surround him with great shooters he will be excellent. Like I said we used this 12 million dollars on the wrong player. We don’t need another all around player we need a dominant goal scorer period. Rantanin Drisidle Cage Thompson. We won the cup because of Eichel to Marchy. Mitch isn’t that type of player.
Pistol Pete
I will give to you Hertl edged out Marner in this game points wise but you never seem to quite get what it means to have a player who came over here 84 points over a point a game at least not to hear you write about the guy. You, larry and others. Only eight current players have more points/game than Mitch Marner plus he’s probably better than each and every one of them defensively including McDavid.
Pistol Pete
Those players are not out there Leonard. McCrimmon had no choice but to take Marner. It was a golden opportunity. Point a game player one of the best defensive forwards in the league. Plus for what he is $12m is decent he could have gotten more on another team. Eventually you will come to understand how crucial it was.
Think five players 26+ goals per 82 games:
Eichel (32)
Dorofeyev (32)
Marner (27)
Stone (27)
Hertl (26)
The goal scoring power is there just need to bring to bear earlier in games and of course the playoffs.
Pistol Pete
None of the players you mention (if we can decipher your spelling) are available they are signed to term and except for Thompson hideously expensive.
Larry
Actually Pete, the goal scoring is NOT there, and was a concern of mine before the season started and those worries have not been allayed almost half way through the season.
Whatever historical numbers that have been are just that, historical and in the past , and have no relevance to the present and on to the future.
Who could have foreseen that Game 34 against the sharks would take on the significance it will, as another clunker at home, and before the Holiday break, will not sit very well for the players, fans or management especially with the 2 games coming up after the break.
Emmanuel
Goal differential for the season:
+1
Pistol Pete
Assuming all seven Marner goals are 5 on 5 which I believe they are here is how his 5 on 5 goals stack up compared to Dorofeyev and Hertl:
Marner: 7
Hertl: 7
Dorofeyev: 5
Not sure how many of Marner’s assists are on the PP but it’s quite a few I believe. If so he’s played a significant role in enabling PP goals.
Pistol Pete
As much as posters such as larry and Leonard Wise want to deny Marner’s impact on goal scoring including his own innate ability to score it is there.
Larry
I checked with AI and Robbie the Robot and both told me ‘innate ability to score goals ‘ does not compute when there are 7 in 34 games played, along with the number of minutes on ice.
Pistol Pete
All you freakin have to do is go watch his 2024-25 highlights and the light bulb will go on. Has it occurred to you he is just 34 games into a new environment? At least he has been producing assists at his normal pace. Maybe you missed the net front one he buried last night?
So are we supposed to give you a medal for “predicting” lower scoring and btw was it not elevated earlier in the season? Maybe you need to get your facts straight first!
Larry
I will not stoop to your level Pete, discussions and opinions are offered here, not personal diatribes as once existed in this forum.
‘Buried the one in front’, I’m thinking even Saad might have scored on that gimme.
I don’t need to watch highlights from last year when he was feeding high end high level offensive talent in Toronto.
I’m not looking for a medal, I was simply stating my opinion as to what I foresaw this season, my facts are my eyes and not the analytics and metrics so often posted.
steve
Cant you 2 just get along?
JB
Ugly start. Too big of a hole to get out of.
Tim
Cassidy may be on his way out. A Cup in 2023 and since then it’s been a team a sleep half the time. After a while any team any sport the players get tone deaf. It’s the same old speech YAWN and lets go gettum. The problem is there’s no one better out there to replace him. I said long before they hired Cassidy the best coach on the market was Joe Quenneville. In fairness winning the Cup was a great accomplishment for Cassidy but his style of play is low scoring heavy defense boring game which when were down it’s hard to catch up.
Emmanuel
I was thinking the same thing….
Tim
Cassidy may be on his way out. A Cup in 2023 and since then it’s been a team a sleep half the time. After a while any team any sport the players get tone deaf. It’s the same old speech YAWN and lets go gettum. The problem is there’s no one better out there to replace him. I said long before they hired Cassidy the best coach on the market was Joe Quenneville. In fairness winning the Cup was a great accomplishment for Cassidy but his style of play is low scoring heavy defense boring game which when were down it’s hard to catch up. Time will tell
Pistol Pete
Bear in mind Tim as good as COL looks right now, after winning the Cup they exited rounds 1,2,1 and that is their same coach. Careful calling out Cassidy for a defense first low scoring style because the year he won the Cup it was not low scoring not in the regular season not in the playoffs. Furthermore, the years he exited rounds 1 and 2 after winning the Cup (just like Bednar in Colorado) it was not low scoring in the regular season both seasons, so you see your defense first boring low scoring claim is not accurate. Scoring was an issue in the playoffs last year that is true but that does not apply to that regular season. This year he does have an issue with early in the game performance which is peculiar to this season and not something that plagued him the preceding three seasons. McCrimmon and McPhee have a better handle on this than any of us so don’t worry about it.
Tim
Pistol Pete, Your a loyal fan and I respect but what Colorado has done and the comparison doesn’t interest me. When we get our ass kicked by Calgary that worries me. There’s an old adage in sports beat the teams you should and half the teams you shouldn’t and you’ll be fine. Look at our home record the last 3 years and playoff record and we have zero home ice advantage and that’s a big problem. I think this is a fairly unbiased opinion that should be looked into considering the home show and crowds were so fortune to have.
Pistol Pete
Forget the COL comparison your claim Cassidy is low scoring defense first does not hold up like some of the other claims we see. Yes defense is the core of his structure which makes a lot of sense but not low scoring by design as you imply. That is what you said low scoring.
“but his style of play is low scoring heavy defense boring game which when were down it’s hard to catch up”
Last year VGK was fifth in scoring 10th the year before. Cassidy designs his teams to score.
JB
The only thing negative I can say about Butch , is, he seems befuddled always why the team starts so slow. Part of his job is to get these guys ready to play in game, from the opening puck drop. He isn’t doing this?
TS
Cassidy challenged the team to OWN IT
.FIX IT. He can only coach, he cannot play for them..it’s on the players to WANT to win, to do the hard work to do so. They are grown men
.PROS. They know what it takes to win. JUST DO IT!!!
Walt
People seem to forget the Gallant saga.
remember when the Vgk were getting behind by 3 goals almost every game, and they asked Gerard Gallant about the slow starts, and he famously replied, “it’s not my job”
well, that comment did not go over too well in the Vgk front office, as he soon after found himself waiting for a cab to pick him up with his pink slip from the Knights.
Walt
Hockey is an emotional game. playing in a business like, passionless way will get you behind by 4 goals.
today’s coaches are not like Knute Rockne. they are not rah rah, but the analytical approach will often lead to lulls in the performance, both in game and in stretches of the season.
however, when your top players are out of the lineup, it then becomes more important for the coach to try to bring up the emotion level in the role players to replace the pretty with more gritty.
TS
Great last comment : replace the pretty with the gritty”! Says it all!
ID10T w/ a Ba1100n
I believe The Great One said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Mitch is a great player, but he is looking for the pass too often when he should take the shot. As a team the VGK have consistently tried to get to fancy between the blues or entering the O zonde, and that has too often led to a puck in their net. The best part of this game was when Keegan drilled McDB, they should’ve punished McCommie more, made him afraid to enter the zone. If the Knights to pull their heads out their rear when it comes to over passing, it’s going to be another long summer. I wish I could get a pair of those rose colored glasses PP wears, then I wpuld see how awesome Vegas is playing while losing. The team can’t rely on OT losses and expect a long run.
Pistol Pete
Yeah well Mitch was exactly where he needed to be four goal #3 right in front of the net and he buried it. Furthermore his career shots/game is comfortably elevated over Hertl and Stone. You join a number of others here with the claim Mitch does not shoot in fact he shoots more than most players they should check the stats first!
Walt
Vgk current narrative=
We will spot you 4 goals, and THEN we will start to play hockey!
without Jack Eichel this team looks more like the Vegas Blue Jackets.
mini slump or harbinger of things to come? It depends on Jack being in the lineup.
Pistol Pete
Walt you completely overlook how we took over the game last night in period three minus Eichel and Theodore. This is not rocket science just watch the game!
Scott
We have certainly missed Jack and Theo on this short trip, but the fight in this team still is there. I appreciate the attitude from these guys. Something tells me that, when Karlsson comes back (when???), this team will reach the level we are all hoping for. He is a big missing link on the lower 6 and defensively as well. He will help the other leaders set the tone for this team and I hope and believe the slow starts and sporadic effort will become a memory. Call me an optimist, but we really have not had the full team in place yet, and when we do, I think all the potential of this team will be realized.
Leonard Wise
Pete you know who has 7 goals Victor Oliffson. 2 million dollar player. You can’t seem to understand my point this team was eliminated by there inability to score goals not pass. This is a typical play Stone to Marner then Marner to Eichel then Eichel to Theadore and Theadore back to Eichel. If a goal scorer is not available find one not just spend 12 million on what you have plenty of. Plus to get him you lost Hague and Roy. You replaced them on the cheap with Scissons and Lazan. That’s the Marner trickle down effect.
Richie-Rich
The boys just can’t seem to turn it on early in games this season. Chasing chasing chasing for 1 to 2 periods and then they shift gears and become a championship caliber team, even without Eichel, Theodore and Karlsson.
I don’t need to say anything, Coach Cassidy has said it all over and over again. He says its up to the players, only they can flip the script.
The talent is there.
But, Lauzon, Sissons and Saad have to go. It’s time for the team to try out some of those Silver Knights. It’s actually several weeks overdue.
KnightWatch
^ This. 100%. It’s up to the guys getting paid to put it to action early on.
Stated in another thread:
I’m inclined to believe that because they are so capable the veterans aren’t concerned about slow starts. They’ve gotten away with it for a while.
Unfortunately it has sunk in that personal changes and father time isn’t allowing the comebacks as often nor as “easy”.
Had hopes for Saad. Has some good things to his game but cannot finish no matter what.
TS
Damn right. The paychecks these players get should be motivation enough. Pros at this level should EARN their paychecks. We know they have the skills, but what about desire?