Knights on Ice — No Treat for the VGK

Yes, on a night that is noted for the option of a trick or a treat, the VGK got the trick and not the treat in their 5-4 OT loss to the Montreal Canadiens at T-Mobile.

It was a night that should have been about 177. Yes, the return of Nate Schmidt, #88, and Alex Tuch, #89, whose jersey numbers add up to 177, returned to the line-up and for the first time in the first 14 games of the 2019-2020 season, the VGK had all of their players healthy enough to play. Even Subban was the backup goaltender.

Both Nate and Alex played well, Tuch with his first goal on a stretch pass from Schmidty in the game that looked like a win for the VGK as they led by 2 goals with just 6:27 left in the 3^rd period. With that kind of lead and Fleury between the pipes, the 2 points looked like a sure thing. But greasy goals and fortuitous bounces helped the Montreal Canadians, who refused to give the VGK any treats beyond the 1 point they were credited with when the game went to overtime. Just 14 seconds after Montreal goaltender Keith Kinkaid was pulled for an extra skater, they tied the game up 4-4.

The 2 goals that were scored by the Canadiens late in the 3^rd period didn’t enter the net behind Fleury off their sticks. Actually, 3 of the 5 goals Montreal scored went in off skates and upper bodies. Jonathan Drouin’s goal that tied the game at 2-2 was put into the net by the stick of Brayden McNabb. The entire blame on this goal was a pure case of Murphy’s Law. The normally reliable VGK zone play found 4 of the 5 VGK all on the same side of the ice to Fleury’s right and when Mile Reilly sent the puck across the ice to the vacated side toward Drouin, Fleury attempted to poke check the puck out of the blue paint and missed. Drouin regained the puck at the side of the net and pushed it past Fleury, but that only sent it back into the blue paint, where Brayden McNabb’s stick pushed it accidentally into the net to tie the game where the period ended tied.

Unlucky, yes, and to the credit of the VGK, they responded in the 3^rd with goals by Cody Glass and Mark Stone to take control of the game and lead 4-2. Tomas Tatar’s goal, his 4^th of the season, was scored without Tatar touching the puck with his stick, as it went in after bouncing in off his upper body when Mark Stone’s clearing attempt hit Tatar. He also assisted on the opening goal of the game. In the 2 games Tatar has played against the VGK, he’s scored 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points. In Tomas Tatar’s 20 games played as a VGK in the 2017-2018 season, he had 6 points total.

The VGK sent Detroit 3 draft picks, a first-round pick in 2018, second-round pick in 2019, and a third-round pick in the 2021 draft, to obtain Tatar at the trade deadline in the 2017-2018 season. Then they traded him, along with Suzuki who was a first-round pick for the VGK, to Montreal for Pacioretty, along with a 2019 second-round pick. So 6 players for Max Pacioretty, which may to this day be the trade that then GM McPhee might want back if he could turn the clock back. Don’t get me wrong. Pacioretty has been a good addition to the VGK lineup, but is he worth 6 players? Tatar was never really given a chance in Las Vegas, where he found a seat in the pressbox more than one on the bench. Last night, you witnessed the hockey skills of Tatar when given the proper ice time.

In another case of fortuitous bounces, Brendan Gallagher’s goal that tied the game up at 4-4 first hit Gallagher’s skate and was headed away from the net until it hit Brayden McNabb’s skate and found the back of the net. Three bounces that cost the VGK a valuable 2^nd point, bringing their record to 8-5-1 (17 points) after 14 games. Not the worst, but not enough to create some space between them and the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes who have 16 and 15 points.

The overtime lasted all of 26 seconds, until Max Domi slipped a puck under Fleury for the game-winning goal. Shea Theodore chased Jeff Petry all the way out to the blue line, leaving the front of the net unguarded, and both Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone left Domi alone. He slipped behind them both and found himself alone with the puck with only Fleury to beat, which he did for a night of no treats for the VGK, unless you consider the 1 point a gift. I think we lost 1 point, as this should have been a game where the team who was playing on back-to-back nights looked like it had the most energy in the final minutes, especially in the 26 seconds of the overtime.

The 3^rd line, which has been anemic on offense for the first 13 games, scored 2 goals last night. Welcome back, Mr. Tuch. Even Cody Eakin had 2 assists for his first 2 points of the season in 10 games.

Nate Schmidt, who had 5 shots on goal and tied Mark Stone for the most shots on goal for the game, also had at least 3 stretch passes out of his defensive zone, which neutralize the opposition’s attempted forecheck. One of Nate’s stretch passes was on the Alex Tuch goal. Part of the problem that the VGK have been experiencing in their first 13 games has been the exit out of their defensive zone. Nate makes that problem for the most part disappear.

William Karlsson scored his 4^th goal of the season and his 3^rd goal in the last 3 games. That line had an excellent game and never got to see the ice in OT that didn’t last long enough for them to chance the outcome of the game. Gallant went with his top scorer in Stone and kept him with Paciorettty and Theodore to start the OT 5-minute session.

“Both looked really good,” Gallant said after the game about Tuch and Schmidt. “I like both of them. Tuch had a good goal and played really well. Schmidt was solid too and moved the puck really good.”

My 3 Stars of the Game: Tomas Tatar (1G, 1A), Max Domi (1G, which was the game-winner, plus 1A), Alex Tuch (1G and overall a nice game with no signs of rust)

Next game is Saturday Nov 2^nd at 7 p.m. vs Winnipeg at T-Mobile

Your comments and opinions are welcome here at Las Vegas Advisor or you can contact me at [email protected] or visit my Facebook page or the Facebook page of Vegas Hockey Guy