Knights on Ice — Another Slow Start Forces VGK To Chase the Game

It was more of the same last night, but unlike in Game 1, where Marc-Andre Fleury stood tall until the VGK could get their legs going, last night that didn’t happen for at least the first period and beyond. It forced the VGK to chase the game, unsuccessfully, for the final 40 minutes in their 3-2 loss at T-Mobile. The loss evened the series up at 1 game apiece. 

With the win last night, Montreal accomplished what they came to Las Vegas to do and that was win at least one of the 2 games, grabbing the home-ice advantage. Now, at least 3 potential games will be played in Montreal, with just 2 remaining in Las Vegas. It became a case of too little too late as Montreal scored 3 goals before Alex Pietrangelo finally got a puck behind Carey Price, who stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced. 

Vegas did push hard after their goal that came late in the second period to trim the lead to 3-1. Montreal seems more comfortable playing when they have the lead. In Game 1, they played better than the VGK in the first period, but Vegas scoring first. Last night, the roles were reversed.

It didn’t help that Chandler Stephenson was scratched due to an undisclosed upper-body injury, which forced Coach DeBoer to juggle centers. So he broke up the 3^rd line, which has been playing well, with Roy centering for Alex Tuch and Mattias Janmark. This move didn’t work out in 2 ways: Roy didn’t create anything with Pacioretty and Stone and the 3^rd line suffered.

In its first 2 years, the VGK’s weakness was at the blueline with their defenseman. But with the addition of Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo over the last 2 seasons and the emergence of Whitecloud and Hague, along with Shea Theodore, Nick Holden and Brayden McNabb, their inefficiency at the defensive position has been somewhat addressed.

Their weakness is now at the center position. Their centers for their top 2 lines are players that couldn’t crack the lineups for the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Granted, William Karlsson has proven that the hockey minds in Columbus were mistaken, especially in the 2017-18 season. But Karlsson has cooled off from those 43 goals in his first season in Las Vegas.

Chandler Stephenson has fit in comfortably between the 2 snipers, Pacioretty and Stone. Stephenson’s speed creates more time and space for Max and Mark. Roy doesn’t have Stephenson’s speed and he appeared to have no chemistry with Pacioretty and Stone last night. That experiment was canceled when Roy was returned to the 3^rd line and Kolesar was moved up. Keegan seemed to be a better fit, but obviously, Stephenson’s absence had a rippling effect between the 1^st and the 3^rd lines. 

Was it the reason the VGK lost last night? Not entirely, but it sure didn’t help with getting pucks deep into Montreal’s defensive zone; the Canadiens were comfortable playing rope-a-dope, knowing full well they had Carey Price behind them to save their bacon. Price had a few big saves. One was on Alec Martinez, who took a cross-ice pass from Pietrangelo and had a clear shot. Price went left to right and got a piece of the puck, sending it over the net. Max Pacioretty rang one off the post on a shot that had Price beat. 

When they have the lead, the Canadiens clog the neutral zone, forcing the VGK to surrender their game plan of skating the puck into the offensive zone. Montreal is 9-1 when they score the first goal of the game, while Vegas has been outscored 15-8 in the first periods of their 15 playoff games.

Alex Pietrangelo, who has found his game, added his 2^nd goal of the night to close the gap to 3-2. It was his first 2-goal playoff performance. The Knights did everything they could to tie it up, but to no avail.

Other game notes.

Montreal had more shots in the first period than they in the 2^nd and 3^rd periods combined —12 and 11, respectively.

Vegas went 0-2 on the power play, which has been a problem for the entire season and it continues in the playoffs.

Vegas outshot Montreal 27-11 in the last 2 periods, but it wasn’t enough. You can’t spot a team 3-goal lead this deep in the playoffs and expect a good result. The 12 Vegas forwards had 14 shots combined. Three defenseman, Pietrangelo (7), Martinez (4), and Theodore (4), had 15.

In the 2 VGK power plays, they registered a paltry 2 SOG. They’re 0 for 6 on their power play in the first 2 games. Montreal has killed off the last 21 power plays they’ve faced and has given up 3 PPG in 37 attempts, all in Round 1 vs. Toronto.

If Stephenson isn’t available tomorrow, will Deboer try Janmark between Stone and Pacioretty to create the missing speed?

Fleury blamed himself postgame for Paul Byron’s winning goal with just 2:15 left in the first period. In his attempt to poke check the puck from Byron, Fleury committed early. Byron reacted to it and lifted the puck up and over the outstretched goaltender.

My 3 Stars of the Game

1) Paul Byron (1G, the GWG)

2) Alex Pietrangelo (2G, +2, and 7 SOG along with 5 hits)

3) Carey Price (29 saves on 31 shots, .935 save %)

Next game is tomorrow night at the Belle Center at 5 p.m. Pacific Time

If you want to hear and see more VGK content please check out the podcast I do with Eddie Rivkin on YouTube, Hockey Knights in Vegas.

Your comments and opinions are welcome here at Las Vegas Advisor or you may contact me directly at [email protected] or on my Facebook page, Vegas Hockey Guy, or on Twitter @TheRealJoePane

One other note: If you’re reading this blog from Facebook or Twitter and would like to access it earlier in the morning before I share it on social media, it’s usually published by 8 a.m. the morning after a game on LasVegasAdvisor.com. What better way is there to enjoy your morning coffee than reading my take on last night’s VGK game.

Pietrangelo’s first goal

Pietrangelo’s second goal

Fleury misses the poke check and Byron scores the GWG

Carey Price robs Martinez of a sure goal