Knights on Ice — In Spite Of

Last night the VGK lost a game they had no business losing 4-3 to the Anaheim Ducks in spite of the following.

They were facing a team that was tied for last place in the Pacific Division.

They were facing a team that ranked 29^th in goals scored, with 96 goals in 37 games. The only teams with less goal scored are the NJ Devils with 95 goals in 35 games and the Detroit Red Wings with 82 in 38 games.

They were facing a team that they have never lost to in Anaheim and have beaten 8 of 9 times in their history.

They were playing a team that has a record of 9-16-4 in their last 29 games.

Malcolm Subban was in nets and had a record of 2-0 lifetime vs. Anaheim and Malcolm was 6-1-1 in his last 8 games.

Anaheim only had 18 shots on goal and scored 4 goals.

Malcolm Subban had a save percentage of .778 last night. Need I say more?

Vegas had 29 shots on net and launched a total of 58 shots toward the net; 11 were blocked and 18 missed the net completely.

They lost even though Jonathan Marchessault scored the first goal of the game in his 200^th game as a VGK. Teams scoring first in the NHL win 67% of the games.

Tomas Nosek had a tough night all around. He took 6 minutes in penalties, one being a 4-minute high-sticking call that put Anaheim on the 5-on-3 man advantage. He also received the hardest check of the night when Ryan Reaves annihilated him along the boards while he was attempting to crush an Anaheim player who at the last minute avoided Reaves, only to see Nosek become the player crushed by Reaves. Reaves also made contact with Nosek’s head with his elbow. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nosek miss today’s game because of that devastating hit.

They lost because they allowed 2 goals in 14 seconds and 3 goals in 1:37 in the second period, which allowed Anaheim to take control of the game. Anaheim’s three goals in a span of 1:37 is tied for the third fastest in its history. The Ducks scored three goals in 1:36 against the Phoenix Coyotes on Nov. 27, 2010, and in 51 seconds against Phoenix on Dec. 23, 2001.

The VGK also set a record by allowing these 3 goals in 1:37. It was the most goals the VGK have given up in their entire history in such a time span.

Last night was the first time the VGK have given up a goal while killing off a 5-on-3 and it was the first time this season Anaheim has scored while having a 5-on-3 man advantage.

VGK gave up a goal on the 5-on-3, another on the 5-on-4, and another at even strength.

They lost in spite of the fact that Nate Schmidt scored two 3^rd period goals late in the game, but it was too little too late for a team that came unprepared to amend for their poor performance on Dec. 23 against the Colorado Avalanche.

They seemed totally out of sync, especially in the first period. Granted, they were coming off of a 3-day Christmas break, but so was Anaheim.

They had a golden opportunity to claim the top spot in the Pacific over their last 2 games, but failed to seize the moment.

Last night was the first time the VGK have lost 2 straight since Nov. 23. They lost that game against Edmonton 4-2 at T-Mobile and the next on Nov. 25 in Dallas by the same score.

The VGK are 1-2-1 over their last 4 games and have squandered 5 valuable points in the Pacific Division; 3 of these last 4 games were against Pacific Division teams.

In a previous post, I stated that you shouldn’t be surprised if the VGK were in first place in the Pacific Division come Jan. 1, 2020. That is still a possibility, but they’re making my prediction more difficult, based on their lackluster play especially in their last 2 games.

They have a 7-game home stand starting tonight with the team they are tied for first place with at 46 points each, but Arizona has played 39 games, while Vegas has played 41. To say that tonight’s game is a pivotal game for the VGK is a no-brainer.

William Karlsson had this to say about the upcoming homestand. “We have a (seven-game) homestand coming up. If we can win a few games and push for the first spot in the Pacific, we’ll be in a good spot going forward when it really matters.” 

Next game is tonight vs. Arizona at T-Mobile at 7 p.m.

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