Knights on Ice — An Old Nightmare Resurfaces

George McPhee is a hockey genius, at least In my opinion, and he proved that in the 2017-18 season when he constructed a team during the expansion draft. He somehow talked teams into giving him not only one player, but often multiple players, in exchange for passing on one it didn’t want to lose, but couldn’t protect from the draft. So they sweetened the pot for McPhee by adding draft picks. We all know what happened in the spring of 2018. This year’s expansion team, the Seattle Kraken, didn’t have the same results; as the 30 other general managers learned their lesson compliments of McPhee.

But one trade will forever haunt McPhee and last night it reappeared at T-Mobile. Filip Forsberg was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first-round, 11th overall, in the 2012 draft. George McPhee was then the GM of the Capitals. Forsberg never played a game for Washington and was traded to Nashville for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Martin Erat scored 2 goals in 64 games for Washington; Michael Latta scored 4 goals in 113 games. Meanwhile, Forsberg has scored 195 goals and added 217 assists for Nashville and last night he scored the first goal of the game, plus the game winner 6:08 into the 3rd period to give Nashville a 3-0 lead. Vegas had their usual desperation push in the 3rd period once again, but last night it fell a goal short in losing to Nashville by a final score of 3-2.

I wrote a few posts back that quality trumps quantity in regard to shots on goal. Last night, the VGK had 44 shots on Nashville goaltender Jusse Saros, 22 shots in the 3rd period alone. But most of these shots were from the perimeter and not from the high- danger areas that are more likely to produce goals.

Goals determine the winner, not shots on goal, and if you want to know the truth, the VGK have a losing record when they have 40 or more SOG: 3-5-1.

They were outplayed and outhustled for most of the game last night and have gathered a single point in their last 2 games at T-Mobile. They were lucky to get that point.

And the upcoming schedule is not looking promising. They play the NY Rangers on Thursday, who currently have the best record in the league. Then they play what will be an emotionally charged atmosphere on Saturday when the Chicago Blackhawks and Marc-Andre Fleury return to Las Vegas. That’s followed by a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have 44 points in 31 games, while the VGK have 45 points in 36 games.

Even though the VGK still sit on top of the Pacific Division, things are getting tight. Anaheim is only 2 points behind and Calgary has 40 points and have played just 31 games. With 5 games in hand, Calgary has the ability to scoop up 10 points, which will put them at 50.

There were no 3rd period heroics last, night even though Vegas has had 5 comebacks in the third this season, 2nd most in the league. They’ve scored 5 goals with their goaltender on the bench and last night that goaltender was Logan Thompson, who was making the first NHL start of his career. Logan played well enough to win and had a few 10-bell saves to boot, but when you don’t score and you allow Nashville to get 3 on the board, that’s a tough hill to climb.

William Karlsson scored the first VGK goal in the 3rd period with just 7:59 left. It was Karlsson’s 100th goal as a VGK. Shea Theodore added the 2nd and final goal with Thompson on the bench with a wicked slapshot with 1:46 left. But the clock ran out as Vegas was buzzing all around Saros, who stood tall stopping 41 of 43 shots.

You cannot just play 10 minutes of a 60-minute game and expect positive results, especially against a team like Nashville, who have won 9 of the last 11 games.

Other game notes and quotes.

About the VGK effort, Pete DeBoer said, “They buckled down and really outcompeted us for long stretches early in the game, really pushed us to the outside of the rink, and they won a lot of battles. We didn’t respond early enough or for long enough.”

“It means a lot,” William Karlsson said about his 100th goal.
I’ve wanted this for a while now. It feels good to get a greasy one to get it over with. My time here as a Golden Knight has been fantastic. This has become a home.”

Even though it was Thompson’s first NHL start, he has played before. He has one career appearance, coming on in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury on March 10, 2021, against the Minnesota Wild. Thompson stopped the only 2 shots he faced when he replaced Flower.

My 3 Stars of the Game: Filip Forsberg (2G, 4 SOG, and 5 hits, a complete game), Jusse Saros (41saves on 43 shots; even though a lot were from long range, he stopped the ones that mattered late in the 3rd), William Karlsson (1G, 1A, and the most ice time of all 12 VGK forwards with 20:59)

Next game is the long-awaited return of Gerald Gallant and Ryan Reaves tomorrow at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile

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

For more VGK content check out the (Hockey Knights in Vegas) Podcast that can be found on YouTube.com or on my Facebook page

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.

Forsberg’s GWG blowing by Pietrangelo
Karlsson’s 100th goal as a VGK
Shea Theodore’s goal that cut the lead to 3-2