Recap: The Golden Knights hosted the New York Islanders for their last game of their six-game homestand. The visitors jumped on the scoreboard first 14:03 into the game. New York doubled their lead a few minutes later to take a 2-0 advantage into the first intermission.
Both teams traded power play opportunities but neither found the back of the net. Eventually, Shea Theodore made an incredible individual move to cut the Islanders lead in half before the break.
Tomas Hertl scored his 7th goal of the season to even the score 8:23 into the final frame. A couple of shifts later Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead with his second goal of 2025-26. The Islanders answered back late in the frame to force overtime. The Golden Knights fell in OT to continue their four-game losing streak.
The Golden Knights record drops to 7-4-5 falling to the Islanders 4-3 in OT. Next up, Vegas will travel to St. Louis on Saturday to face the Blues. Puck drop is scheduled for 5PM PT. (Recap by Jason)
Analysis: The Golden Knights dug themselves yet another hole at home. Shea Theodore made one of the best plays of the season to get them going and then they stormed out to a lead in the 3rd with another awesome period trying to come back. Then, a place they’ve been excellent, against the empty net, they failed and it headed to OT. They hit two posts, drew a penalty, and played a generally excellent OT… and still lost due to a shorthanded laser. (Analysis by Ken)
Upcoming stories from the Vegas Golden Knights vs. New York Islanders at T-Mobile Arena.
- What in the world is going on in OT?
Ken’s Three VGK Stars
*** Reilly Smith
** Tomas Hertl
* Shea Theodore
Richie-Rich
Game 16 Summary NYI 4 VGK 3 OTL
The NYI played with complete composure throughout this contest. The VGK played with relentless desperation throughout the game and actually came through with the lead in period 3. However, they tanked during the Empty Net and collapsed the defense deep into their own zone allowing a shot to go completely unchallenged from within the top of the circle, a blast that beat Schmid on the blocker side.
That Empty Net D effort was one of the worst I have seen at the Fortress.
In OT both Theodore and Hertl had chances to win it. Theodore hit the pipe and then Hertl the Crossbar but Murphy’s Law prevailed and the VGK once again is beat.
Right before the PP in OT I said watch, the Islanders are going to score short handed and a few seconds after the puck drop — game over.
Lauzon is trash. Cut him loose and bring up someone from Henderson. Bowman is a keeper. He looked great in the Stone spot on the PP.
Hertl has been playing fantastic these first 16 games. He’s making things happen out there.
Emmanuel
“Trash”
LOL……
What did you expect from a career 3rd pairing guy?
He is what he is, he’s playing as he always has.
Richie-Rich
By trash, I mean does not need to be in the NHL.
Larry
I’m a bit too shell-shocked to comment fully, though I could probably fill a page with just my incredulity from watching that overtime from puck drop to game end and what took place out there on the ice and behind the bench!
Larry
So my issues were this in overtime:
Starting Howden Theodore and I believe Dorofeyev?….uhhhh really????
Win the faceoff and gain control NICE!……Theodore trying to skate 1 on 3 and losing control… TYPICAL… you could hear the crowd’s collective groan!
Eichel and Marner come on the ice … GREAT!….Jack and then Mitch turning the puck over carelessly…. NOT SO GREAT!
For whatever reasons….. lack of coaching or guidance we don’t seem to understand the concept of possession in the overtime and cycling and recycling to tire the opposition out with fresh offensive players hitting the ice.
Richie-Rich
Larry,
Spot on analysis! Eichel, Marner and Hertl should be #1 line in OT. I get the fact you want a D-man, but why really? And Eichel is usually so great at puck protection! Definitely a wasted opportunity.
I am still livid over the week play during the empty net session at the end of period 3.
Larry
Thanks RR, personally I’d rather have Hanifin out there to be with Eichel and Marner cause his speed can and should be an asset on 3-3, how often do we have clean 2-1 or breakaways versus other teams having them, tge answer is in the fact we are 1 win and 5 losses in overtime.
And yes I agree on the back-pedaling defense and defenseman , it obviously has worked in the past and brought us a Cup, but teams start recognizing things and making adjustments, we have to adapt to the changes as well.
Pistol Pete
Damn was all ready to laud the return of the Theo and Smitty of old in getting a win but another Roy early goalie pull bites us and something not great must have happened in OT (have not watched the game yet). One thing is clear we need Carter Hart to be the answer because clearly Akira Schmid is not. Really, the lack of a legitimate starter has played a part in this bad stretch.
Bowman records four shots in his NHL debut which is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Hopefully Dorofeyev-Hertl-Bowman is the answer; Hertl recorded some shots so when watching the game I would like to see Bowman set some of those up. Connelly is back on the HSK roster which assuming he wasn’t due to injury (maybe he was on it all along?) could mean he plays on Saturday the 15th along with Hart.
Sad to say we have to settle for points in half the games this homestand. On the bright side we did once again erase a third period two goal deficit. Oh and the Saad-Howden-Smith line scored with Saad assisting. Nice to see a little depth. On to the Blues and the Wild.
P.S. Watched the recap: not Schmid’s best night. We win this game with better goaltending. Bowman looks pretty NHL ready to me. Goes to the net and shoots.
Emmanuel
I would not ice
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Bowman
with a lead late in a game but its worth a 5 game trial.
Im not sold on Hertl C’ing Dorofeyev, he needs a better passer
to set up his 1 timers, and Doro should be on RW.
Richie-Rich
Bowman deserves a shot at being that guy.
Larry
I would agree he deserves a shot, his 2 strong moves to the net on the PP will be rewarded sooner than later, however I do agree with the tge fact he should probably have not been out there protecting the 6-5 and actually may have been responsible for the relatively open shot, but I guess it goes to what I have said ‘ feet to the fire’
TS
Bowman is a big feisty player, not afraid to mix it up, scrap in front of the net, eager to prove himself
.I, too, like what i see in him!
Pistol Pete
It was actually one goal deficit in the third my bad two goal lead reduced to one by Theo near the end of period two. Good third period just the same though scoring twice to take the lead. Fuck should have won this one.
Pistol Pete
So this OTL and the one against the Ducks we sort of got robbed no? 1-3-2 could easily has been 3-3 getting two more points. Only 16 games into
82 no point in sweating games just go out and play hard every night some breaks will go your way.
Pistol Pete
Cassidy positive on Bowman especially nice to hear good on the walls. If he can just start racking up some points he’s a keeper. Possible solid depth piece ultimately replacing a Saad maybe more.
https://youtu.be/5zzG7YVn9U4
Hdbiker7851
One thing is certain – Vegas goalie situation is only good if the defense in front of him is great, unfortunately, that was not the situation last night. The way things are going they have their work cut out for themselves and need to get their act together. Yes they came back from two goals down and even went ahead only to give up a goal with an empty net looking at them from the other end. OT dominated play, even received a pp opportunities then fell asleep at the wheel- they have nearly as many ties as wins and you won’t make the playoffs with that kind of performance .
Emmanuel
(Insert team name) goalie situation is only good if the defense in front of him is great.
G are the product of the defense in front of them.
Hdbiker7851
PP – congratulations buddy – proud of you, finally seeing things as they truly are. The team has issues, hopefully some reinforcements are in the wings from some place. Onward and upward hopefully with a win next game.
Richie-Rich
Wow, Sadd-Howden-Smith gets a goal. That’s 1 goal every 16 games. The was a great shift for them, Smith stayed on the puck and get rewarded. VGK needs more of that.
DeezNutz
Mark Stone’s constant injuries were always going to come back and bite this team in the ass at some point and I’m afraid the time has finally come. In years past this team was always able to compensate for his constant injuries and stay afloat and in some instances it made them better. The depth players would adapt and become better as the season progressed but I think it is now finally affecting them negatively to the point of missing the playoffs or costing them a good standing in the postseason. I dint understand why season after season this team develops a regular season plan that includes Mark Stone in any prominent top 6 role knowing damn well that he will be sidelined for an extended period at any given moment. You come into training camp and preseason leaning on a guy while knowing that he’s 100% going to suddenly disappear for months on end and hinder your entire set up. Put him in a bottom 6 role and keep him on PP1 since he’s less likely to fall gently and break both his wrists with a man advantage (though I doubt that even to be true) but you cannot rely on this guy to be there for you when you need to bank points. He’s just not that guy anymore and he hasn’t been for a long time. If you are going to crumble and turn into dry dog shit then you need to find a energy/locker room guy that actually plays for you. I say give Jack the C already.
I’m not going to get on Shakira Mid because he was never supposed to be an NHL starter. He’s a back up at best and I honestly don’t think Hill has been much better since 2023. Bring on Carter Hart and let the guy use his motivation to revive his career. I don’t want Hill or Mid anywhere near the starter role ever again let Hart work through it because we all know he has talent and there is a guy that will actually play with some real fire and effort and something to prove.
Also, Lauzon is a fucking plug I already hate that guy as a player. Completely useless
Emmanuel
1 Doro -3
2 Korczak only played 11:21, big drop from previous games
3 Schaefer is already VERY good and plays tons of ice time,
I would have taken Misa if I picked 1st, I would have been wrong…
4 Isles are missing a Brock Nelson type C, if they still had him they
go deep in the playoffs
5 I would make a minor trade to shake things up
TS
Familiar pattern this season: Fall behind, fight like hell the REST of the game, but it’s not enough to get the W. Comeback attempts fall short again and again.
. Losing those OT games this way is BRUTAL. The team finally got it together, only to get schooled on the
short- handed breakaway NJ Goal in OT.
To say we’re underperforming this season is an obvious understatement..Cassidy sees bright spots, as a coach should, but SOMETHING MUST CHANGE, AND SOON. Hard to be optimistic when this pattern keeps repeating itself!
FG
On a positive note, VGK won on xGF 5.3-3.1!
What is the identity of this VGK team?
Not a rush team (probably worth an article on that)
Not a physical team, no forecheck, days of the physical fourth line are gone
Not a fast team
Not good special teams
Not shutdown defensive team
Not a good goalie tandem
Last year’s team scuffled against playoff teams during the regular season, then had a challenging first round playoff win against the Wild, and went out with a whimper against the Oilers.
Off that team they lost Pietrangelo, Hague, Olofsson, Roy, Samsonov
In or resigned came Marner, Saad, Smith, Sissons, Holtz, Reinhart, Lauzon
Should we expect this team to be better than last year’s?
TS
FG, it seems not. We traded so many, instead banking on the new guys, the rookies, and one elite player, Marner. Too many question marks this season, and injuries to compound it all.
I’m duly concerned, but we can’t win them all, can’t be contenders every year, it seems. Vegas embeaces winners, is pretty quick to turn if things go wrong
. This must turn around this season, or seats at T-Mobile may be half- empty next year..i’ve been here 50 yrs, and seen what happens with frustrated fans.
Vic
Welcome back Shea who looked like a man possessed flying around. Another loss of a point due to a lost OT faceoff on a PP no less. The stars have to deliver and soon.
Jeffrey Sutton
Schmid is an absolute statue. Our $6M dollar man in net never stays healthy. This is fine.
Richie-Rich
Dah-Dah-Dah-Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carter Hart to the RESCUE!
The loss had nothing to do with the D backing up backing up backing up backing up and allowing a blast from several feet INSIDE the face off circle at all. A shot from there should NEVER go unchallenged physically. Yet, the VGK just retreated like a gopher going into its hole.
No credit to this team’s relentless desperation that resulted in taking the lead in the 3rd period at all?
No credit to almost winning it twice in OT by hitting iron?
Come on man!
The saying that your record and GF/GA is who you are isn’t the reality with this team. They’re much better.
CARTER HART TO THE RESCUE!
NO DEFENSE NEEDED!
JUST ADD CARTER!
Emmanuel
He WAS a ho-hum G.
What is he NOW?
He’s not going to start a turnaround, the top 7 are & maybe if they find scorers in the bottom 5.
knights fan in minny
Well that was a kick in the nuts Struggle to tie the game struggle to go ahead in the game then lose it in OT shorthanded ouch Theo had a hell of a nice goal The number one pick in the NHL draft the 18 year old defenseman looks pretty poised out there The Islanders New Dennis potvin
JB
As I e said regular season is about points ….. but, we are not getting enough, especially at home. Just a loss of words at what is going on?
Scott
We have 9 more games before Carter Hart is eligible to play. I don’t even know if he is the answer, but he can’t be any worse than what we have right now. Those four goals last night by the NYI were all from distance and would likely have been stopped by a better netminder. Very frustrating to watch given the fightback from the rest of the guys. 9 more games. I hope we can scrounge enough points from those to keep us from falling into a deeper hole.
Hdbiker7851
One thing is certain – Vegas goalie situation is only good if the defense in front of him is great, unfortunately, that was not the situation last night. The way things are going they have their work cut out for themselves and need to get their act together. Yes they came back from two goals down and even went ahead only to give up a goal with an empty net looking at them from the other end. OT dominated play, even received a pp opportunities then fell asleep at the wheel- they have nearly as many ties as wins and you won’t make the playoffs with that kind of performance .
23
R-R is right. 5 on 6 to hold a lead in the last 3 minutes and he has them hanging back in an exaggerated rope a dope. The forwards MUST pressure the point men, pressure the puck, but instead he has them standing like statues 15 feet away from their man, giving them total freedom and operating room.
They say ad nauseum to “take away time and space”, but apparently in this situation Hopalong says forget that guys….give them time and space. if they move the puck laterally eventually for a wide open one timer, well then the goalie will….oops, ok, There goes plan A out the window.
and Hertl was shamed on that 4 on 3 OT faceoff, getting owned by little Pageau who went coast to coast from a shorthanded faceoff.
Sure, a lot of these problems could be alleviated by better goaltending, but it also highlights the flaws in the Vgk system .
Emmanuel
Pageau has been a reliable two way bottom sixer for a decade plus, hes long in the tooth, show him his propers. If we had a couple Pageaus on VGK wed be in 1st.
Sirgoomba
The trade off from Nic Roy to Sissons is vast. Knowing he was part of the Marner deal does not relinquish the fact that he scored 10+ goals a season but also made those around him better. Kolesar was the biggest beneficiary of Roy’s style as currently he has a goose egg, and the entire 4th line goal aggregate is 1.
Scary to look at what options we have to make any sort of deal to improve this team in near term. While we are all hopeful Hart will improve our goaltending situation, let’s keep in mind he has not played in 2 years, so let’s see how he does in Henderson before we put all our eggs in that basket.
TS
Nice online handle, Sirgoomba! I miss Roy, too!
Pistol Pete
Now that Karlsson is out it really hurts the center depth. A couple weeks ago I suggested McCrimmon might have pigeon-holed Howden as the ideal 4C over Sissons in replacing Roy. If Sissons proved out put Howden on his wing to improve the scoring depth of the line. Now that we have had some time to see what Sissons can do you could scratch him and put Howden in his place. Bowman-Howden-Kolesar when Stone and Karlsson are back or Saad as 4LW and Bowman with Karlsson and Smith. My point is Eichel/Hertl/Karlsson/Howden is very good C depth. Bowman and Saad fill out the depth in wingers. Saad can also be waived and replaced with a player like Tuomas Uronen if he proves out in Hemderson. Still a strong forward group if healthy.
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Marner
Smith-Karlsson-Bowman
Saad-Howden-Kolesar
Larry
Saad waived? Is that music I hear to my ears???? lol
Jack Hammer
Oh man, Saturday night in St. Louis and we Golden Knights are going to put on a clinic at the Enterprise Center! The boys will came out swinging—Smith ripping one top shelf early! Marner dancing through their D for a filthy breakaway dish to Eichel. The Blues? Clueless. Nabber laying dudes out left and right, Teddy dishing dimes like a quarterback. Then Eichel—hatty in the third, stick tap city! 6-1 final. Vegas owning the joint, leaving the Gateway City crying under that big arch. Go Knights Go!
Emmanuel
I was in StLouie in June, the baseball stadium is gorgeous.