For most of 2017 and their first game vs. Nashville last Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights pretty much dictated the pace of their games. Their speed caught unsuspecting teams flat-footed and before they knew what hit them, they trailed early and often, especially at T-Mobile Arena where the VGK are almost unbeatable, particularly in the first period. Last night’s loss to the St. Louis Blues was on the road, not in the friendly confines of T-Mobile.
St. Louis’ speed, especially in the first period, not only matched the speed of the Knights, but for the most part, they were the quicker team and used the VGK’s normal game plan to break Vegas’ latest win streak at eight in a row.
Even though the win streak is over, there was no finger pointing among the VGK; when you score only one goal, you can’t expect to win many games. Granted, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury did log two shutouts out of the last three games. Last night, he gave up only two and stopped the other 37 shots he faced, but they still managed to outscore the VGK by that one goal. St. Louis won 61% of the faceoffs, which become a factor in which team is controlling the puck and the pace of the game.
Tonight’s loss also brought the overall loses of VGK to double digits, 27-10-2.
The St. Louis goalie, Carter Hutton, was outstanding. Fleury, too, played well and on most nights, the winning goal would have been whistled down. When a ref loses sight of the puck, he blows the whistle, stopping play. Unfortunately for the VGK, the ref was positioned in a way that he had a clear view of the loose puck as it laid in the crease, while Fleury believed he had it underneath him and was looking for a whistle. Fleury being outplayed doesn’t happen often, but Hutton has been stopping just about everything that he faces. Actually, he’s been the hottest goalie of all 30 other starters for more than weeks. Tonight he shut down the VGK multiple times especially in the final moments of the game, when VGK had Fleury pulled for an extra skater.
Twice, Carter Hutton stoned goal scorer James Neal from close range in the last minute of the game, even though on one of Neal’s close-in shots from his off wing, he appeared to not get all of his stick on the puck.
In their eight-game win streak, the VGK gave up only 1.5 goals, while averaging 3.75 goals, per game. They outscored their opposition 30-12.
This was a game they could have won or at least gotten to overtime, earning at least one point and keeping their point streak to 14 games in a row.
VGK did keep St. Louis’ power play from scoring twice and have killed off 16 in a row. They haven’t given up a PP goal in more 400 minutes. That works out to almost seven complete games.
I’ve always spoken about the importance of the first goal. When St. Louis scored first tonight, their chances of winning became a factor ,since their record is 19-3-1 when that happens,
On the flip side, the VGK’s record when scored on first is 10-8-2.
Not to be lost in their eight-game win streak is that it tied the longest win streak so far this season with the L.A. Kings.
Their power play was scoring at the rate of 20.8%.
Their penalty kill was humming along at 86.4% success rate. The last two PP goals they surrendered came against Tampa Bay, which scored on their first two PPs of a game the VGK won when Shea Theodore scored with 2.3 seconds left in game that people are still talking about.
Shea Theodore had eight points in the last seven games.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare didn’t travel with the team to St. Louis as he and his wife were welcoming the birth of their first child. William Carrier was activated off the IR and replaced Bellemare.
The only goal scored by Vegas came off of the stick of Erik Haula, his 15th.
As I said it my last blog, I thought it would be hard for Coach Gallant to not come right back with Fleury in the nets, considering his two shutouts in the last three games. But expect to see Subban as tonight’s goaltender, when the VGK return to the ice in a back-to-back game vs. Chicago Blackhawks at 5:30 Pacific Time.
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