Recap: The Stanley Cup champions traveled to San Jose for a divisional matchup against the rebuilding Sharks. Vegas was forced to kill off two penalties in the opening period which led to Michael Amadio’s opening goal of the game. Seconds after the PK did their job, Amadio gave VGK a 1-0 lead. San Jose evened the score minutes later to close out the opening period 1-1.
Both teams traded chances in the middle frame, but Vegas’ offense caught fire late in the period. Nic Hague’s slapshot broke the 1-1 tie and Nic Roy’s top-shelf wrist shot gave his team a 3-1 advantage.
Brayden Pachal stretched the lead to 4-1 early into the final 20 minutes. Vegas fought off a few offensive attacks from San Jose but Logan Thompson stood tall in net. The Golden Knights finished off the Sharks 4-1.
The Golden Knights remain undefeated and go 2-0-0 on the young season. Vegas will travel back home to prepare for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: A very strong defensive effort from the Golden Knights kept the Sharks away from the center of the ice all night. Offensively it wasn’t as pretty as it the Golden Knights didn’t generate a ton. But, they generated enough to continue the streak of never losing in regulation of a regular season game at SAP Center. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks at SAP Center.
- VGK’s championship identity on display against division opponents
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** William Karlsson
** Jonas Rondbjerg
* Brayden Pachal
The former captain of the Silver Knights with his first NHL goal. Perfectly placed shot.
Hopefully Jonas tells him what to do with the puck.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) October 13, 2023
They highlighted it once on the broadcast, but it needs more highlighting. Jonas Rondbjerg has been awesome in the neutral zone tonight. Primary assist on the Roy goal as a reward.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) October 13, 2023
Karlsson has been cooking tonight. Brilliant stuff to hang onto that puck and find Amadio. VGK up again after a sleepy start.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) October 13, 2023
Sorvino
San Jose sucks and Vegas did not play down to their level. There’s really nothing negative to say about tonight’s game.
Just two games in so an extremely small sample size, but there are no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover.
Pistol Pete
Wanted Pav to really shine through on that start but from what Ken was tweeting me he struggled most of the game with strength on the puck in the o-zone. At least he was on the ice for two of the goals including logging an assist on Pachal’s goal (kudos to Brayden for notching his first NHL goal to go with his name on the Cup!). Hopefully a game for Pav to build on entering Saturday’s game at T-Mobile.
Hdbiker7851
PP – concerning Pav Ken was being kind unfortunately. It was nice to win but not a great performance. Two games 8 different goal scorers is encouraging to see.
Pistol Pete
As long as he stays defensively responsible, which he has as far as I can see, he can build off of it. He had a decent shift or two in the o-zone,
stronger on the puck later in the game.
Pistol Pete
In the postgame Cassidy commented that Pav and Amadio were good with Karly. I do agree though that earlier in the game Pav’s o-zone puck battles were not his best. I like his chances on Saturday however because I have seen him trending stronger on the puck going back to last year.
THE hockey GOD
coach just trying to prop up no 16 confidence, no more, he had a terrible time out there
THE hockey GOD
his holding penalty was weak showing he was out gunned
maybe not signing MAX and instead letting no. 16, who clearly isn’t good to go agains a very weak opponent, was a mistake.
Pistol Pete
The way Cassidy sees it a prospect like Pav who has above average scoring and playmaking skill, being defensively responsible is paramount. Defend first and offense comes second. The offense may never come ie. starting with a 30-40 pt season and you have to move on to the next prospect. We are not talking Connor Bedard or Jack Eichel talent here, just garden variety top six to top nine potential.
THE hockey GOD
patches earned a spot on team, if put on waivers a team like Sharks would pick him up likely as they need help on D.
would hate to lose him as VGK have spent a lot of time in developing him
would like to see him step it up against better teams
Jailbird
In the two games, 8 goals, 8 different players. Most important to me is the play by our two goalies . Great start for both!
knights fan in minny
nice to have 2 capable netminders for the long haul
knights fan in minny
a win is a win logan did a nice job wild bill with a beauty pass on the first goal pachal and roy goals were nice shots kolly with a right hand bomb. keep it rolling petro took that one square.
Pistol Pete
For an AHL prospect with median to higher offensive upside the first step in moving up to the NHL is getting stronger on the puck and learning the defensive side of it. Comparing Rondbjerg and Pav each made sufficient progress in this respect in fact factoring in youth, height, weight, scoring and with Cotter and Leschyshyn (and Krebs) out of the Henderson system, Pav and Rondbjerg sat atop the Henderson get-a-look-at-the-NHL hierarchy, so let’s compare them.
In Henderson Pav showed significantly higher in offense scoring 45 goals in 119 AHL games age 20-22 (82 game pace of 31 goals) compared to Rondbjerg’s 32 goals in 145 AHL games age 20-24 (82 game pace of 18 goals). Pav’s AHL offensive production is also significantly higher than Cotter and Leschyshyn who preceded him in age.
In the NHL Pav’s higher ceiling has also shown through compared to Rondbjerg thus far including +/- which fairly reflects defensive play to some degree.
Pav: 7G/3 A/+6 in 21 games (.48 pts/game)
Rondbjerg: 2 G/6 A/-4 in 44 games (.18 pts/game)
Cotter’s NHL numbers:
15 G/5 A/-4 in 64 games (.31 pts/game)
Note the -4 vs. Pav’s +6 (again partly reflective of defensive performance)
Any AHL player who achieves an 82 game pace of +30 goals in a 100+ games sample is going to turn heads in the organization. This was the case with Pav and he was pushed to get bigger and stronger for the NHL which he did so he got moved up. Now it’s up to him to earn a permanent spot playing with Karlsson (for starters).
Tim
Were off to a great start Seattle, San Jose, and then Anaheim. Poor San Jose plays Vegas, Colorado, and then Carolina I couldn’t be happier for one of our rivals.
Richie-Rich
Right now Cotter’s spot is solidified because he is stronger on the puck, especially around the boards and in front of the net. It’s not just goal scoring that counts, although it is a factor. Cotter’s looking at 30 goals/100games, Pav 35goals/100games. Neither of them, at this point, are locks to average those numbers, which is why Howden will move back to the 2nd line and Cotter back to the 3rd line. Rondbjerg’s waiver exempt, so back to Henderson.
Dorofeyev is going to have to dislodge either Howden or Cotter on the 2nd or 3rd line. He gets another chance tomorrow night to break out.
Art of Hockey
Is there any update on the injury to Alex Pietrangelo?
Pistol Pete
R-R, agreed Pav has to deliver to unseat Cotter but he may based on how it went last season when he came in. Cassidy played him above Cotter for a number if not most of those 15 games. Cotter I would say is stronger on the puck some of the time and Pav is some of the time. Pav showed better, more sophisticated puck control in the preseason but that was not against all NHL players. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. That goal on the face off, that was a move that does not come naturally to Cotter. Let’s face it, nobody does not want both guys to be become legitimate top nine forwards.
I may follow this up with a more detailed comparison of the two. Basically I give Cotter the edge in forechecking and Pav in everything else.
Pistol Pete
Pav knows how critical a piece forechecking is. He has improved but needs to be more consistent against the toughest competition.
Pistol Pete
In reviewing the lines after Dorofeyev was called up last season it went something like this:
He was scratched the first three games and then played 15 of the next 17 games up to game 82. Cotter was scratched 8 of the 15 games Dorofeyev played. After playing his first several games Dorofeyev was scratched for two games and Cotter did play those two games. When Dorofeyev were on the lineup together Dorofeyev was usually on the Karlsson line and played on the Eichel line games 80-82. Most significant in the history was Cassidy scratching Cotter 8 times to leave Dorofeyev in. I believe Cassidy still views Dorofeyev as potentially the more skilled of the two. It will be interesting to see how the situation evolves over the next few games. We can have our own opinions on the two but Cassidy is the one who knows best.
Pistol Pete
“When Dorofeyev AND COTTER were on the lineup together” is what I meant.
Richie-Rich
You definitely can see that Dorofeyev has the speed and shot making skills for sure. He’s definitely a line 2. I think Cotter is a line 3 or 4 guy. The team is so deep right now that it is hard to break into the lineup. I don’t think that the team loses much with Howden out.
Any word on Petro’s injury. Looked like a nasty one.
Pistol Pete
Dorofeyev has some good moves goes to the net and will always shoot if he can. He also appears to be defensively responsibly knowing that he won’t make on Cassidy’s team if he is not. Hopefully he can get more consistent in winning his forecheck battles at this level because that is where he should be able with his other skills to make a top six (or a deep nine). He is not the fastest sprinter but moves and skates well in the framework of an evolving play.
Pistol Pete
Petro not at morning skate.
Richie-Rich
Hague/Theodore
Hutton/McNabb
Pachal/Korczak
???????