Granted, it may be just baby steps, but slowly, the VGK are getting their players back into the game.
Last night Max Pacioretty returned from a fractured foot and William Carrier returned to the lineup in last night’s 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Pacioretty had been out since Oct. 14 and Carrier since Nov 9. Jonathan Marchessault is expected to return in the pivotal game on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile.
Not so long ago, the Oilers were double-digit points ahead of the VGK, who started the season losing 4 of their first 5 games. But when you look at the standings this morning, the VGK trail Edmonton by only 4 points and Calgary, on top of the division, by 5. Since they stumbled out of the gate in their first 5 games, Vegas has won 11 of their last 15 and now occupy a playoff spot that’s not a wild card.
Unlike Monday’s lackluster loss to St. Louis, the VGK didn’t blow a 2-0 lead and give up 5 unanswered goals. Last night, they scored the first 3 goals of the game and technically never looked back.
Chandler Stephenson opened the scoring, like he did in St. Louis. It wasn’t in the first minute of the game, but instead in the last 48 seconds of the first period. Goals scored that late in a period are usually a big momentum boost.
Just 3:01 into the second period Jonas Rondbjerg scored his 2nd goal of the season, picking up the puck at the blue line off a Predator turnover. On Stephenson’s opening goal, Mark Stone picked the pocket of Mattias Ekholm, sending Chandler in alone on Juuse Saros, who stopped only 30 of the 34 shots he faced.
Adam Brooks scored his first goal as a VGK halfway through the 2nd period, sending the VGK into the 3rd period with a 3-0 lead.
Nashville finally got one by Robin Lehner, who was coming off a sub-par performance in St. Louis. Robin was in the zone last night, like he’s been for all but two of his starts. Robin stopped 26 of 28 shots for a save percentage of .929.
Filip Forsberg scored Nashville’s first goal 5:20 into the 3rd period. His goal was quickly nullified by Alex Pietrangelo’s shorthander just 2:44 later. Forsberg scored his 2nd on the power play with 6:09 left in the game. Nashville had 6 power play chances and converted on 1. Vegas’ PK unit was all over Nashville and had 4 shots on Saros while they were shorthanded. The Nashville PP unit made the VGK power play unit look halfway decent. But Vegas was still 0-2 and had 4 SOG, while Nashville had 5 shots on their 6 PP chances.
In a time snafu during a 2nd period penalty to Zach Whitecloud, neither the game clock nor the penalty clock moved for 34 seconds, during which the 5-on-4 Nashville scored a goal. While the on-ice officials conferred with the off-ice official in trying to correct the clock, the VGK coaching staff had ample time to look at the PPG. They wound up disputing the goal for goaltender interference and it was determined that Robin Lehner had, in fact, been interfered with. The goal was removed and that kept the Vegas lead at 3-0.
Mark Stone finally got his first goal of the season last night, even though it was into an empty net. Stone’s play away from the puck set up Stephenson’s goal. Stone’s value is realized on the entire 200 x 80 surface of the ice.
Other game notes and quotes.
“He’s a thoroughbred as a player,” Peter DeBoer said of Max Pacioretty. “He had a non-weight-bearing injury that he had to basically stay off for five weeks. So he wasn’t allowed to do anything. He’s had a week of skating and he jumps in, plays 17 minutes, and looks really good. Not many guys can do that.”
“It’s pretty obvious I’ve been a little frustrated,” Stone said, “taking my anger out a little bit too much in the last few games. I had to just relax and play again. I hit the goalie in the chest four times again tonight, on the breakaway [and] chances in the slot.
“But to see that one go in, it will hopefully put my mind at ease a little bit.”
My 3 Stars of the Game: Chandler Stephenson (1G, 1A), Mark Stone (1G, 1A), Robin Lehner (26 saves on 28 shots)
Next game is Saturday vs. Edmonton at T-Mobile. Please note the starting time of 4 p.m.
I want to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy the day with your family and friends.
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 or the Facebook page of 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.
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Nick Steffen submitted this opinion
Much better game than in St. Louis. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nick Steffen same to you my friend, and yes head and shoulders better than Monday’s debacle in St. Louis.
Joe P.
Lynda Israel sent this in
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🤠❤️🏒
Lynda Israel right back at you and your family.
Joe P.
Nadia Harper sent this comment in
Thanks Joe happy thanksgiving to you as well 🥰
Valerie Last sent this comment in
Yes, VGK is getting there as they boys recover. Yes !
I enjoy your column. Keep up the good work.
Hey Joe. Without having seen the game, except for the goals, I suppose Lehner and the defense worked well together, as the Nashville first goal were scored on a breakaway and a second on a PP after a puck-out (Again!) by “Mr. U No Hu” (my usual whipping horse).
Four goals from four different forwards are something to build on.
When Marchessault is back, does DeBoer have to use the magic wand to make the Cap-Hit overrun go away?
Thanks for the recap!
Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family from Canada. Great reading again, 🙏.🏒🥅🖤🧡🍁🇨🇦#goKnightsgo #
Thank you Judy and I extend the same wishes to you and your family.
Joe P.
As Thanksgiving doesn´t exist in Sweden I diidn´t have a clue what it stands for.
I´ve read some background information about it and therefore I´ll say:
Happy Thanksgiving to all Vegas Golden Knights fans in this forum.
Kenneth
Thanksgiving gives us a chance to eat more than we should and then claim the turkey has made us sleepy. We then continue the same for the following day and by Saturday we cannot understand why we feel bloated.
Joe P.
Degerman Noel sent this opinion in
What happens when everyone is back and Eichel is off IR
We will need to make cap space
1- do we trade one of the misfits …MOST LIKELY and will probably be Smith
2- Will we need to trade someone like McNabb on expiring contract
That’s only about 7.5 million
Who else will be sacrificed?
Hate to even think it but could
Theodore be gone?
And ride with
Pietrangelo — Hague
Martinez — Whitecloud
Coglan — Hutton/Miromanov
Have lines
1- Stone
Eichel
Patches
2- Marchy
Wild Bill
Roy
3- Dadonov
Stephenson
Janmark
4- Cotter
Patrick
Carrier
Leave Brooks , Kolesar , Roddy Leschy , Howden
So, with Smith and Mcnabb on trade table
I hate the idea but Theodore makes sense as 3rd sacrifice
Degerman Noel
The current payroll for the VGK is 91,938,227 the Cap Limit is set at 81,500,000
So, the VGK are 10,438,227 over the Cap if everyone under contract would be healthy enough to be included on the roster. So, contracts will have to be traded away or players waived for them to be in compliance.
Reilly Smith is in his last year of his contract at 5 million so even trading him away at the trade deadline or before is not enough, more contracts will be removed or players waived
There is the possibility of keeping Jack Eichel on LTIR until the playoffs as the salary cap is not in affect once the season ends. Tampa Bay used this during last year’s playoffs to circumvent the salary cap.
The VGK do have 7 contracts that will be (RFA) Restricted free agents and 5 (UFA) three of the bigger UFA are Reilly Smith at 5 million Janmark at 2 million and McNabb at 2.5 million. That is 9.5 million just with those 3 contracts but without leaving Eichel on the LTIR until the playoffs it appears at least 3 players will not survive past the trade deadline. Smith and Janmark look like they may be the first 2 to go unless there are additional injuries as the season goes on. We shall see
Joe P.
Degerman Noel,
Theodore makes sense as the first sacrifice. I like that idea.
He´s piling up points but he´s piling up even more mistakes that costs too much in the end.
Teams learning how to play against him to get scoring chances out of nothing.
Hard and physical forechecking forces him to make bad plays.
Ask Colorado and especially Landeskog or watch replays from last season playoff games against Minnesota, Colorado and Montreal and you´ll see what I mean.
When Eichel is ready to play, Vegas has him and Pietrangelo as pointmen on the PP.
Theodore is expendable and if traded away for some draft picks that´s 5,2 M less deadweight on the Cap hit.
Of course I respect your thoughts about Theodore but even the TV-commentators and other bloggers begins to be aware of (at last) what I´ve seen for some years (remember SC finals 2018).