The VGK usually outshoot their opponents, sometimes with a margin greater than 2-to-1, yet either struggle to win or actually lose the game.
In their last game at T-Mobile, the VGK outshot the Tampa Bay Lightning 41-to-19 for Tampa Bay yet lost 4-3. Quantity over quality against Tampa Bay. Against Dallas on Dec. 8, they had 45 shots to Dallas’ 23, yet Vegas needed 3 goals in the 3rd period to squeeze out the 5-4 victory. Another case of quantity over quality.
But last night against the L.A. Kings, the VGK showcased some quality shots in their 6-3 win, avenging their 6-2 loss back on Oct. 14. Instead of just running up the SOG meter, the VGK made the most of their 27 shots, scoring on 3 consecutive shots in the first period, then on their first 2 shots of the 2nd period and on the first shot of the 3rd period.
They scored their first 2 goals just 26 seconds apart for the 2-0 lead. Then they responded to L.A.’s goal scored just 13 seconds after Keegan Kolesar tipped in Ben Hutton’s slap shot from the point with a goal by Jonathan Marchessault just 37 seconds later. All in all, 4 goals were scored in just 1:16 for a pretty wild first period. Vegas had 3 goals on just 8 shots on Jonathan Quick, who made a quick exit after giving up 5 goals in 22:47.
Quick was replaced by former VGK goaltender Garret Sparks who fared much better between the pipes, stopping 11 of the 12 shots he faced in his 37:13 of playing time. The only shot he didn’t stop was off a giveaway by Drew Doughty who gift-wrapped the puck for Marchessault, positioned in front of Sparks, for his second goal of the game and a team-leading 16th of the season.
In 55 games last season, Marchy scored 18 goals. He has 16 in just 28 games so far. Another interesting indicator for Marchy is that he has an 18.2% success rate. In the 2016-17 season with the Florida Panthers, he had a career high of 30 goals with a 15.54% success rate. He’s dialed in so far this season.
The Misfit line accounted for 6 points last night with Marchessault’s 2G and 1A, Reilly Smith’s PPG, and William Karlsson’s assist on Marchessault’s first goal that came off the post Karlsson hit, beating Quick; Marchy scooped it up and lifted it by Quick on his backhand.
The power play has come alive in December. The VGK have the most PPG in the month, 13 for 35, and scored 2 PPG last night.
Scoring has not been a problem this season. Goals allowed has. The VGK scored at least 3 goals in their last 24 games. They scored 3 goals or more in 8th straight road games and last night set a franchise record with their 6th straight road win.
What’s even more impressive about last night’s win was they accomplished this while missing Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, and Robin Lehner and Pete DeBoer. Stone and Lehner were injury related and Pietrangelo and DeBoer were COVID related. Running a bench is not an easy task, but Steve Spott didn’t have a blemish with too many men on the ice during line changes and his power play scored 2.
Other game notes and quotes.
Chandler Stephenson praised Jonathan Marchessault. “I think he’s just always around the puck, always working hard.”
Stephenson has a 3-game point streak going. He’s scored four points (one goal, three assists) during the streak. It was also Stephenson’s third straight game with an assist
Andre Kopitar, who seems to be a VGK killer, had 26 points in the 22 games he has played against the VGK. Last night he did pick up 1 assist to break a tie with Wayne Gretzky for second place in Kings history. Fortunately, his assist had no effect on the final score. It took Kopitar 1,160 games to get 673 assists. Gretzky had his 672 assists in just 539 games. Speaking about quality over quantity.
My 3 stars of the Game: Jonathan Marchessault (2G 1A), Chandler Stephenson (1G, as the GWG, and 1A), Reilly Smith (1G, 1A)
Next game is Friday at 12 noon against Anaheim.
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.
4 goals in 1:16
Reilly Smith’s PPG
Marchessault’s 2nd goal of the night off of the turnover
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Marz Zam Gabz sent this comment in
Great!!!
Hey Joe.
All Vegas needed was a Quick fix. LA changed goalies to get a Spark to their play but it wasn´t enough to be first over the goal-line.
LA forgot to plug in the Sparks in their engine.
Before the first face-off I hoped that Vegas was wearing The Golden Helmets. The winner takes the gold medal and the loser gets the silver helmet, sorry, the silver medal.
Looking at the first period Vegas was cruising to a safe win as the goals dropped in.
Maybe it was too easy as LA gave away at least two goals. Doughty made a perfect pass to Marchy in front of the LA goal and on another goal two LA players collided and the VGK players said: “Wam Bam Thank You Mam”.
Scoring 3 goals in the first period at an away game is always good.
The second period started in the same mold as the first. The goal hungry Vegas players swallowed the Quiche Jonathan in two bites.
Instead Garret came in and sent in some badly needed spark in the till then pretty lame LA team.
After that Vegas started to play a little bit nonchalant and the Kings took over the game but they couldn´t score enough to win over VGK this time.
Brossoit stood tall last night despite the sloppy defensive play from his teammates.
Offensively it´s very good to score two goals at PP. On the other hand it´s a fist! (Sorry!) There is a bad PP that resulted in a LA goal.
Despite all goals they scored, I was missing the smile on the players faces. It seems that Mark Stone is missing in that department as well. His smiling and grinning face is spreading happiness through the team when they score a goal.
I forgot one player who´s shows how happy he is, Ben Hutton always have a big smile when he´s on the ice when Vegas scores.
His number is 17. In swedish 17 is pronounced “Schutton”. Makes me smile, but I´m a bit crazy.
The face-offs are still a big problem for the VGK.
Kopitar was 16-24/67% totally. Against Roy and Stevenson he was 10-10/100%, but against our Viking, Wild Bill Hickup, he only had 6-13/46%.
The other three LA centermen won 67%, 60% and 50% respectively.
William was 11-18/58%, Roy was 42%, Leschyshyn was 38% and Chandler must have had his worst game at 22%!
The bad face-off statistics must have an end, otherwise Vegas is going to be punished against better teams than the Kings.
I hope the win didn´t cost too much as I the didn´t see Coghlan on ice in the last 18 minutes of the third period.
Was he injured or did his dismal performance make Spott send Dylan to the dressing room?
The team looked tired in the third period and they had a hard time to put together more than a few passes in a row.
But as I use to say, a win is a win is a win.
Mickey Hart noticed that I had incorrectly stated the VGK/TB game final score of 5-4 when it was 3-2
Mickey wrote Lost to TB 4-3
Mickey Hart OOPS
It has been corrected thank you, I was looking at the final score of the Dallas game and used that score for the TB game.
Joe P.
Mickey Hart replied
Joe Pane cool. good job on your blog! Good insight.
Mickey Hart thanks I appreciate your feedback.
Joe P.
Anthony Ward sent this comment in.
You should write a hockey clinic for all of us new hockey fans. I always appreciate your take, thank you
Anthony Ward, no thank you. Your loyal support of my work is greatly appreciated.
Joe P.
Hey Joe. Thanks for the recap.
Do you have any Covid-19 restrictions for the area of Las Vegas and for the NHL?
Kenneth
it’s a very fluid situation here in Las Vegas as the number of Covid cases have spiked up. But right now, to enter T-Mobile you must wear a mask for your entire time in the arena. As of now they are not requiring proof of vaccination but like I said things will be changing and it appears towards more restrictions.
Joe P.
Joseph Madera sent this opinion in.
Pp is looking much better pk dropped off a bit and 5 on 5 is doing well hoping 2022 starts as well as 2021 ended for the knights