Knights on Ice — All Aboard The Pacioretty Express! Next Stop: Second Place In the Pacific

Last night, the Pacioretty Express was full steam ahead and the entire team was on board as they crushed their division opponent, the Vancouver Canucks, 6-3 in a crucial 4-point game at T-Mobile in front of 18,066. The win propelled the VGK over the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers into 2^nd place in the Pacific Division where they sit just one point behind 1^st place Arizona.

By now the Canucks should be accustomed to losing to the VGK. They have never beaten Vegas in regulation in the nine times the two teams have played. The VGK hold an impressive 8-0-1 record. When you add Marc-André Fleury into the mix, he hasn’t lost a game in regulation to Vancouver since 2006 (14 years). Let these 2 stats sink in for a moment.

Vegas is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. This record has taken them from being on the playoff bubble to a now-formidable threat in the Pacific Division. Keep in mind that from Oct. 31^st till Nov. 25^th the VGK lost 10 of 13 games, which is mind-boggling when you consider where they’re positioned now. Granted, the Pacific Division may be the weakest division in the NHL, but we all know that no matter how bad things seem, come April, it’s a new beginning. Just ask the St. Louis Blues if you don’t believe me.

Back to the Pacioretty Express. In the first 16 games of this season, Patches scored just 3 goals. In his next 20 games, he scored 12 goals and in his last 4 games, he’s deposited 5 goals, along with 3 assists. Last night his 2 goals came after Vancouver trimmed the VGK lead from 4-1 to 4-2 and Patches’ goal extended the lead back to 5-2. When Vancouver scored to bring the score to 5-3, Patches’ scored again on the power play to close the scoring and the seal the victory in an important division game by the final score of 6-3.

Pacioretty now leads the team with 15 goals. Reilly Smith is second with 13. Even Mark Stone finally found the back of the net with his 12^th goal of the season. Stone hadn’t scored since Nov. 27 vs. Nashville and you could see by his reaction that scoring last night was a huge relief for him. Stone has been contributing, as he has 18 assists, which is 2^nd to the Pacioretty Express. Max has 19 assists to go along with 15 goals for a team-high 34 points.

If Stone can find his scoring touch and the Pacioretty Express continues down the tracks, look for your VGK to be sitting on top of the Pacific Division come Jan. 1, 2020, as 5 of their next 7 games are against Pacific Division opponents.

Once again, the 4^th line did exactly what they needed to do. They keep the pressure on the forecheck, hemming the opposition in their own zone and preventing them from not only moving the puck out, but also from getting fresh legs over the boards, especially in the 2^nd period where the changes are more difficult, because of the bench positions. They may not have the softest hands among the other 9 forwards, but the havoc they create allows the other 3 lines to utilize their speed against players with tired legs. This will never show up on the scoresheet, but it has a lasting effect overall.

These little things may go unnoticed to a few, but trust me, the people who matter the most can see what players like Nosek, Reaves, and Carrier bring to the ice/table game after game. Even Gallant took the time last night to point out their contribution, though not one of these 3 players made the scoresheet. Reaves did, but he took Antoine Roussel with him for 2 minutes in the penalty box for roughing, when Roussel decided to get frisky in front of Fleury. Six goals scored, but Gallant made sure to acknowledge their contribution on a night where a lot of VGK players had strong performances on the scoring sheet and in the net, with Fleury stopping 26 of the 29 shots he faced.

The 2^nd period woes that Vegas experienced in St. Louis are a distant memory, as last night Vegas dominated the 2^nd period with 19 shots on Jacob Markstrom in the 2^nd period, while Fleury could have gone for a cup of coffee. Vancouver only managed 5 shots on goal in the 2^nd period.

Shea Theodore had 3 assists last night, which gives him 5 in the last 2 games. He leads all VGK blueliners with 14 assists and 17 points total.

Jonathan Marchessault, who has the heart of a lion and plays like he is 6-feet-4, scored his 100^th NHL goal last night; 62 of his goals have come in the 195 games he’s played as a VGK. He never takes a shift off. He’s a testament to “size doesn’t matter.” If you had 12 forwards who played like Marchy, you’d have a Stanley Cup parade down Las Vegas Blvd. sooner than you know.

Next game is tomorrow night at T-Mobile at 7 p.m vs. Minnesota Wild, who are also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

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