Recap: The Golden Knights were looking to sweep their two-game road trip with a victory in Minnesota. The Wild scored first, but Pavel Dorofeyev answered back with his 11th goal of the season. After 20 minutes, the game was locked in a 1-1 tie.
Midway through the 2nd period Minnesota regained their lead and took a 2-1 edge into the 2nd intermission.
Reilly Smith tied the game up with a 3rd period power play goal. The game needed overtime to decide a winner. Minnesota came away with the victory after Vegas committed a costly penalty on a questionable call.
The Golden Knights’ record drops to 8-4-6 falling to the Wild 3-2 in OT. Next up, Vegas will travel back home for a single game, a matchup on Monday night with the New York Rangers. Puck drop against the Rangers is scheduled for 7 PM. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: It was a low-event game that VGK rescued a point from due to dominance on special teams. They generated just about nothing at 5-on-5 the entire night. VGK’s defense did come along as the game went on which was key in slowing down the Wild and ultimarely earning them a point. Overtime remains a problem, even if the end of this one was screwed up by a terrible call. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena.
- Picking up points while out of the playoff picture
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Shea Theodore
** Reilly Smith
* Tomas Hertl
Larry
I told the wife after the second period we would be lucky and I would be happy if VGK garnered a point out of this game, and now it feels like a bittersweet point, but Cassidy’s reaction on the bench helped take some of the sting away from that patently horrible call.
Oh by the way I don’t know what the final face off tallies were, but good heavens ( sorry for the coarse language) it seemed we lost every face off and even worse lost them sooo cleanly!
Richie-Rich
Game 18 Summary MIN 4, VGK 3 OTL
Once again the Golden Knights found themselves chasing the scoreboard. We’ve seen this game over and over again. It’s just another rerun. Flip the damn channel already! Let’s move on. The hope that the STL game would change the dynamics did not translate to this game.
Sure, it was a back-to-back and at times the boys looked like they were having a tough time keeping up. Was this performance horrible? No, it wasn’t but the same breakdowns continue to happen. Eighteen games into the season and I cannot think of a single game where we were on top of the opponent other than the St. Louis game. I think there was a 3-0 game a few weeks ago.
I still think that we should have Hanifan, Eichel and Marner out there as the #1 option in OT. Theodore had another giveaway behind Gustavsson in OT in this game.
The boys return and face off against the Rangers on Tuesday before heading back out on the road.
That hooking call in OT was CHEAP!
Emmanuel
The Rangers game is going to be a real litmus test.
If theyre blown out changes are a MUST!
Larry
Overtime is an absolute mess right now, there is no separation, no open ice, no creativity, well there was the different way Theodore lost the puck 1 on 3 in back of the Wild net, but that was about it.
As bad as we have been in shootouts, I’d still like to be able to get to one one of these fine days.
Pistol Pete
The OT struggles continue still no win for poor Carl Lindbom.
Zero shots for Braeden Bowman damn it. Hopefully the fantasy survives to live another day. I have not watched the game yet.
Another consecutive allowing under 30 shots. Not sure what the record is, Ken is impressed with the team defensively which is encouraging post-Petro. Lauzon out injured Hutton in?
Carter Hart in saving all 8 SA midway through second HSK 2-0 both goals by D no points Kemec one assist Connelly.
Pistol Pete
Hart goes 12/14 in a 5-2 win. Connelly 1G/1A the other 4 goals scored by D, Kmec however did not play my bad. Including his six games last year Connelly is 2G//5A (-2) in eight games. Uronen did not point this game but was +1 (11GP/7G/2A/+3).
TS
Pp, OT record this season: 1 W, 6 L
OUCH.
Leonard Wise
It’s simple win games in regulation. However we are always chasing game and have trouble scoring goals. Now Marner and Eichel having trouble scoring. Need a great goalie hopefully Carter Hart to keep teams from getting a lead. Because scoring will continue to be a problem. You can throw out St Louis game as they are one of the easiest teams to score on. How can a team with Eichel and Marner not be able to score in overtime.
FG
At least VGK is leading the league in one category……OT losses!
They have the same points percentage as the Blackhawks, Canadiens, and Islanders.
Pistol Pete
Except for OT(1-6) this team has been out scoring the opposition at least enough to win games in
regulation. Regulation record is 7-4. Only 18 games into 82 a lot can happen. Someone can check the goal totals in the 11 reg games if they want.
JB
I’ll take the 3 out of 4 points on this trip, but, still not good enough?
Pistol Pete
I would say Connelly is faster and more talented than Bowman but no doubt needs work getting strong on the puck (the walls, puck battles everywhere, hold onto the puck), away from the puck skills, get back into his end and defend. It will take perhaps a whole season in Henderson unless his offense is off the charts or he gets strong in all zones quick. Bowman had a solid first season and was able to advance in the aforementioned areas earning a call up. As for Bowman not landing a shot against MINN that was a setback though I not watched the game yet he may have been otherwise solid. I’m viewing him now more as winger on the fourth line displacing Reinhardt and this in the event Sissons is scratched for Howden as 4C. Who knows maybe Bowman begins to rack up the points pronto though in my mind that is a stretch but it remains intriguing Cassidy elevated him right away (probably with Stone out he had nothing to lose
given the limited options).
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Marner
Saad-Karlsson-Smith
Bowman- Howden-Kolesar
Pistol Pete
At least in this game Kirill and Boldy did not eviscerate us like they did multiple games in the playoffs. We defended better.
vgk21
absolutely terrible game by Korczak. He gave the puck away along the boards and then failed to cover his man on goal #1 by Minny.
then he got knocked down and outmuscled for the puck in the corner by Foligno on goal #2
and the OT strategy is a coaching failure. last night they tried the don’t shoot, don’t go to the net, just circle and stall for 5 minutes boring crap, and that failed miserably.
and Jack has got to shoot the puck more often on the PP . they had the camera angle from behind the net, and it showed very clearly that the Vgk are over passing the puck, looking and waiting and trying to make the fancy, perfect play instead of just grip it and rip it.
the positives are 3 pts on the weekend, and Smith starting to join the party.
Pistol Pete
Posted by VGK on X:
Mitch Marner fastest player in franchise history to get to 20 points (first 18 games).
Mr. All Over The Ice Impactful!
Pistol Pete is preaching to choir, correct or not so correct?!!!
Don’t worry the goals will come they always do!
Larry
Pete, your positivity is a positively positive thing, but I’m also positive that his lack of goal scoring to this point is positively concerning , , and further I’m positive that his unwillingness to shoot the puck is positively alarming!
Hopefully tonight things will start to be different.
Pistol Pete
Larry I think you are too focused on his scoring goals too the extent of losing sight of his career goal scoring prowess. 28/82 games is way above average it really is. Not sure you look at it that way. MacKinnon the second best player on the planet scores exactly seven more goals per 82 games than Marner. That’s it. All these guys who are more than a point a game and there aren’t many they are overall impactful in what they create in offense. The goals they play a part in creating are with few exceptions more impactful than the ones the actually score as far as the volume of it then you have the away from the puck all three zones stuff which really good players like Marner excel at. I really notice that with him. His stick is just constantly at work helping create turnovers, keeping the puck in O zone helping cycle it, all that.
Larry
I understand and respect what you are saying, but whatever numbers he posted in Toronto was with 3 gifted goal scorers surrounding him and afforded him open ice for assists and goals as well.
These things are unfortunately not available to our team as presently constructed, and in order to win games the puck must be placed behind the opposing goalie, and in order to do so the puck must be attempted to be directed towards the goal via actually shooting the puck towards said goalie and not trying to pass and overpass.
Is it fair for there to be criticism or concerns about him? At this point I can think of $12 million reasons.
Pistol Pete
Fair enough Larry but points are points and 20/18 =1.111 just below his 1.14 career average. As I mentioned the full value of the player’s points is goals they score plus assists that enable others to score. I don’t see what him having gifted goal scorers
to net the ones he helped create is any different than the ones he sets up here except he may at the end of the year not have the 75 he got last season because he does not have a center like Mathews netting his setups rather he has Hertl. He has 16 assists, 16 assists = 16 goals. I agree his own goal scoring is off to a slow start 18 games in with a new team so will just have to wait and see. As you know goal scoring can be streaky.
No question he was setting up a lot of fire power in Toronto but you seem to be implying he’ll have trouble maintaining his 1.14 points average or 28 goals/82 games. Way too early to make that call Larry just 18 games in. I’ll take his 20 assists in 18 games all day long.
Matthews: 4.02 shots/game—52 goals/82 games
Nylander: 2.91 shots/game—32 goals/82 games
Tavares: 3.16 shots/game—34 goals/82 games
Eichel is no slouch though they are not currently playing together 5 on 5.
Eichel: 3.57 shots/game—32 goals/82 games
Pistol Pete
I meant 20 pts in 18 games Larry not 20 assists my bad but basically amounts to 20 goals! Either way buddy you and I want the same win streaks I am just expecting more than you MM will play a big part in them!
Larry
Pete, let’s hope that our 25.5 million guys awaken from whatever doldrums they are in goal-scoring wise, and start producing against the Rangers who have been road warriors so far this year, and whose fans travel well taking away some of our perceived home ice advantage.
To quote from Rage Against The Machine:
It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime
What better place than here, what better time than now