Whichever you prefer, the results will be the same when you’re using these words to describe last night’s Vegas Golden Knights game vs. Anaheim, that Vegas, despite scoring 2 power play-goals and 2 shorthanded goals, somehow found a way to lose by a score of 6-5.
It was a strange game, as the unlikely occurrence of an empty-net goal being the game winner, found a way into the storyline. This almost never happens, but this season whatever could possibly go wrong for the VGK seems to be game after game.
The VGK special teams have been great on the penalty kill and atrocious on the power play this season. They entered last night’s game on an 0-15 streak on the power play, before scoring 2.
Meanwhile, since their first season, the VGK have scored the most shorthanded goals (37) in the league. They currently lead the NHL in shorthanded goals this season with 5.
Robin Lehner in spite of a 7-game winning streak against Anaheim, had a tough night, giving up 5 goals, several of which I’m sure he would like another chance at.
Speaking of what could possibly go wrong now, Mark Stone, who just recently returned to the lineup after missing a number of games, fell into the end boards striking his right shoulder and was hunched over in what appeared to be a lot of pain as he left the ice for the locker room. He returned to the bench a short time later, but by the look on his face as he sat down, it was clear he was still hurting. He also played a regular shift in Vegas’ desperate attempt to overcome a 3-goal deficit. But Coach DeBoer hinted that they’ll better know Stone’s status later today. His determination in returning to the game speaks volumes for his leadership role on this team. But having played contact sports my entire life, this is the kind of injury you don’t really feel immediately; your adrenaline pushes you through. The following day, however, you feel like you’ve been run over by a bus. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stone doesn’t play tomorrow in Arizona.
What’s really discouraging about last night’s loss is that it was not only a divisional 4-point game, but it was against a team that the night before blew a 4-1 lead to the L.A. Kings, another Pacific Division opponent, and were forced to play a 5-minute overtime period and shootout. Both Anaheim and L.A. picked up points in that game. Vegas hadn’t played since Saturday night and had 3 full days off. They should have been the team with the jump in their legs. But history shows that Vegas is 0-5-0 when playing with more than 2 days of rest. Like I said, what possibly could go wrong seems to happen a lot this season.
Division games are critical to your final position in the regular season. Currently, the VGK are a disappointing 4-4 in games against division opponents.
The first 20 minutes were scoreless, then the floodgates opened for 6 goals in the second period. Anaheim led 2-0 before VGK trimmed that to 2-1 on William Carrier’s 3rd goal of the season. Anaheim responded by scoring the next 2 goals to establish a lead of 4-1, the same lead they blew the night before in L.A. The VGK knew this and seemed to be energized; they scored their first shorthanded goal with just 12 seconds left in the 2nd period, reducing the lead to 4-2.
It appeared VGK scored a quick goal to start the 3rd period, but it was disallowed when Dadonov was ruled to have interfered with Anaheim goaltender Anthony Stolarz, replacing John Gibson who had a long night in L.A. on Tuesday. The VGK penalty kill once again not only got the job done, but Mattias Janmark scored the second SHG just 1:58 into the 3rd period and we were back to a 1-goal game.
Jamie Drysdale scored 6:55 into the 3rd to push Anaheim back to a 2-goal lead. The dismal VGK PP did snap their 0-15 streak when Max “Sniper “Pacioretty snapped one by Stolarz with Mark Stone providing a screen in front. And we were back to a 1-goal game with plenty of time (8:30) left.
Deboer pulled Robin Lehner with just over 2 minutes left for the extra skater in their attempt to repeat what the Kings had accomplished the night before. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and when the puck bounced over Shea Theodore’s stick at the blue line, Isac Lundestrom had nothing but open ice between himself and the vacated net. His empty-net goal became the game winner Reilly Smith scored a PPG with just 29 seconds left in the game for their 2nd power play of the night in a disappointing 6-5 loss to a divisional opponent.
Other game notes and quotes. “At the end of the night, you score four or five goals, you should win,” Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said. “Our attention to detail defensively wasn’t good enough.”
“If you want to look at the positive side, I think today with shorthanded goals and power-play goals and 6-on-5 goals, it’s almost like we have to come up with a point,” Janmark said. “But we don’t, so we pretty much gave this one away.”
Vegas scored four goals on special teams for the third time in four games.
This was the first time Vegas has lost 2 games in a row since they lost 4 of their first 5 games (Oct. 14-24)
Vegas has given up 70 goals in 22 games and is currently out of a playoff spot, sitting in 5th place in the division.
My 3 Stars of the Game: Sonny Milano (who had 3 primary assists on Anaheim’s 5 goals against Lehner), the VGK penalty-killing unit (that somehow kept them in the game till the end), Mattias Janmark (1G, 1A and perfect on his faceoffs)
Next game is tomorrow vs. Arizona at Gila Arena 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time
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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This game made me both angry and hopeless. In the end it was a close game but Anaheim should have won it by a big margin.
Without looking at numbers and only using my eye-test, Vegas was playing so bad that I almost got numb. In the first two periods they were losing almost every man against man duel in all three zones. Passing the puck to a linemate was nearly impossible without shooting it to an icing. The way the VGK played can be described as boring.
The commentators on the Ducks broadcast said that William Karlsson is missing the most because Smith and Marchy can´t find any chemistry with Roy. Roy isn´t an offensive threat as William is. In my opinion Willam is a better defensive player than Roy as well and better at face-offs too. Roy can´t keep up with the speed of Smithy and Marchy either. He´s a third or a fourth line center were his size and toughness works better. It´s the same with Kolesar, and both players lack´s technical skills to play at the first or the second line.
Lehner had a really bad game and as you (Joe) said after the last game, Lehner is playing to much back in the net relaying on the size of his body. He saved a few dangerous shots but that´s his job. The defensive play wasn´t good this game but Anaheim was playing very well in all three zones.
As I said to my girlfriend in the third period when Zegras tried to be too cute and shoot between his legs on a breakaway against Lehner.
“That miss maybe gonna cost Ducks the game. You can´t do that when it´s only 5-3 and a lot of time left in the game”.
Now he was blessed with the choice of DeBoer to put Theodore as pointman of the PP. He fumbled a bouncing puck over his stick as he´s done so many times before. Can anyone tell him to play safe with stick and skates aand even his hands to prevent the puck from leaving the zone?
He was outskated and Vegas could have skated out of the rink but they didn´t give up and scored a fifth goal.
VGK showed a lot of heart in the third period but you can´t win games with that kind of play.
If Vegas have a video-coach who´s not having any bad habits, maybe he can show every player on the team what they did wrong.
A blowtorch from DeBoer maybe is what´s needed, so be it.
Pass the puck to your teammate, give-and-go, pucks to the net if Vegas players are there or on their way, mark your man in the D-zone or at least play a zone-in-zone defence. Help Lehner like Anaheim players helped their goalie.
I think Anaheim got over confident as they were 4-1 or 5-3 up. They gave up the forecheck on a shaky defesive Vegas and let the Golden Knights score as much as five times.
North-south hockey were are you?
Kenneth your points are well taken as always. Vegas as bad as they played last night on both sides of the puck were fortunate that Anaheim let them back in the game. Good teams shut it down when leading going into the 3rd period. Anaheim did this also the night before when they played LA. Don’t get me started with Theodore keeping the puck in on the blue line. Last night I will give him a pass because it was bouncing. But like you said if that is happening get your gloves down to settle the puck down. Lehner didn’t help himself or the team last night. He had an off night.
Joe P.
The Knights are second to Montreal in high danger scoring against..They give the opposing teams way too many quality scoring chances..Last night they gave up the puck 15 times..Even the bad teams will capitalize on giveaways..You cant depend on the goalies to bail out the defense time after time..Giveaways and blown coverage in your own zone will lead to goals against..Robin let in a couple of soft ones last night..That happens to even the best goalies..
Nick Steffen sent this opinion in
That’s two games in a row that the Knights have given away, at least in my opinion. They have flashes of brilliance, followed by turnovers and defensive miscues. It seems like the only thing that is consistent is their inconsistency. Frustrating!
Nick Steffen very true.
Joe P.
Johnny Lawless had this to say
On the bright side – we play Arizona next!
and we got some power play goals.
Johnny Lawless if they can’t take advantage of this upcoming game, I’m not sure they are ready to make a run for the playoffs before they are completely healthy.
Joe P.
It´s one of my goals to start people up to have an discussion about players who are glorified by so many talking heads (not you Joe) just by looking at his points statistics. There´s so much more details that makes a great D-man. Sorry to say but that kind of discussions doesn´t seem to exist among VGK fans. The Golden Knights is still a new franchise and that´s maybe a reason why.
I think it´s interresting to read other teams blogs and comments. Fans on these blogs really discuss what´s good or bad on their team. The haters are quickly sorted out but there´s a lot of different opinions. These teams haven´t had Vegas success in such a short time and they haven´t been as near as Vegas has just to play for the SC. These fans want some playoff wins to begin with.
We have got used to have it every year right from the start. That´s why people like me tends to criticise the team when our beloved team lose a few games to teams we are used to win against.
The goal this season is still to get to the playoffs and not to win the Presidents Trophy, you know the title we should have won the last season. The PT isn´t the SC, ask the Cap´s or Tampa about that.
About Lehner you might say he helped one team and that was Anaheim. I never thought I would say this but Lehner haven´t played up to my expectations so far this season. Maybe it´s the team situation with so many new players in and out of the line-ups.
The defensive play starts in the O-zone and the forecheck has been sub-par this season and that can make the D-men and the goalie looking stupid sometimes.
After all. we have this blog and Joe and Eddie at “Hockey Knights in Vegas” (Youtube) and that´s a good start.