It’s often said that water rolls off the back of a duck, but in a rare afternoon game at T-Mobile, a New Year’s Eve tradition for the VGK, they ruffled the feathers of the Anaheim Ducks, poured shot after shot on Anaheim goaltender John Gibson, and punched their way to a dominating win by a score of 3-1 in front of 18,022, who ventured down to the Strip before it closed to allow for the many amateurs who will without a doubt fully drink their way to oblivion.
With their win, Vegas increased their record to 22-12-0 for 44 points and increased their lead in the Pacific Division to 3 points over the Ducks. Their 44 points are the most among the 16 teams that play in the Western Conference. Only 2 teams in the NHL have more points than the VGK. Tampa Bay has 46 points and is playing while I write this and Carolina has 45.
This victory also marked their 62nd in calendar year 2021. The 62 wins are the most in NHL history. Only 5 other teams in the history of the NHL have had 60 or 61 wins in a calendar year.
Laurent Brossoit is currently the #1 goaltender for the VGK; Robin Lehner is still out with an injury he suffered on Dec 19th against the Islanders. Brossoit was near perfect, stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced and was headed for his 3rd career shutout until Ryan Getzlaf scored a power-play goal with just 12 seconds left in the game.
Brossoit’s first 2 shutouts were while he was on the Winnipeg Jets, the first in the 2018-2019 season and the second in the 2020-2021 season.
It was the Ducks’ only goal in the game in the only power play in the game and their only shot on the power play.
On the flip side, the VGK had 6 power-play chances and came up empty. John Gibson stopped all Vegas’ 14 SOG on their power plays.
Just when you thought that the injury bug was in the rear-view mirror, it has resurfaced. Stone, Lehner, and Nicolas Hague are out with undisclosed injuries. Then you have to add Max Pacioretty, who underwent surgery on his wrist and Alec Martinez who hasn’t played since Nov 11 after taking a skate to the face. Martinez, Pacioretty, and Jack Eichel are on LTIR; Eichel is recovering from neck surgery.
This game had a bit of an edge to it. I’m not sure if the Ducks were trying to light a fire under their own asses, as they had almost nothing going on, generating only 16 shots on goal, while Vegas had almost 3 times that amount with 45. Or is there some bad blood between these teams? The rivalry in the first few years of this franchise with the San Jose Sharks has all but disappeared. Are the Ducks, in a tooth and nail fight with Vegas for the top spot in the Pacific Division, the new rivalry?
There were 3 fights in the game with Brayden McNabb dropping the gloves twice. Keegan Kolesar also challenged Ryan Getzlaf who took some unnecessary liberties with William Karlsson 11 seconds after Getzlaf exited the penalty box for his roughing penalty. Kolesar invited him to a dance and Getzlaf obliged.
When Derek Grant violently cross-checked Dylan Coghlan from behind, Brayden McNabb stepped up for a dance with Grant. With tempers and emotions percolating, McNabb issued one of his bone crushing checks along the right-wing boards and multiple players wound up in a big dog pile. McNabb and Sam Carrick found their way out of the dog pile and exchanged punches with just 1:12 left in the game. McNabb received an additional 2 minutes for interference, which was the power-play that ruined Brossoit’s shutout.
The Ducks must have eaten something that upset their collective stomach and it showed: They received 14 penalties, which included 3 fighting penalties, one 10-minute misconduct, and 4 roughing penalties. The VGK aren’t noted for fighting, but they stepped up to the defend their fellow teammates.
Other game notes and quotes.
“I think the team’s been feeling good the last month or so,” Laurent Brossoit said. “To cap off the month and year with a performance like that, you couldn’t feel better.”
When Brossoit was asked about losing the shutout very late in the game he said, “I’m not too worried about the shutout. All that matters is the win.”
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Evgenii Dadonov returned for the VGK after missing two games in protocol.
Peter DeBoer was behind the bench after missing one game in protocol.
Jonathan Marchessault had a game-high of 8 SOG for both teams.
Alex Pietrangelo, who usually logs the most ice time, was surpassed by Shea Theodore who had 26:06 of ice time while Petro had 21:32. Theodore was moved up to the top defensive pairing with Zach Whitecloud.
Mattias Janmark was awarded a penalty shot when his stick was held on a breakaway by Josh Manson. Gibson made the save on the penalty shot with 1:39 left in the 2nd period. Janmark made note of the choppy ice that happens toward the end of a 20-minute period. In the shootouts the ice is scraped before.
My 3 Stars of the game: Nicolas Roy (1G, 3 SOG), John Gibson (stopped 42 of 45 shots, including Janmark’s penalty shot), Brayden McNabb (stepped up in defense of his teammates and owned the right-wing boards just inside the blueline that opposing players are now avoiding at all cost)
Next game is another afternoon contest at T-Mobile tomorrow at 1 p.m. vs. Winnipeg Jets and the return of Nate Schmidt to Vegas.
I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year.
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.
Roy opening goal
Janmark goal that makes it 3-0
Getzlaf goal that ruined Brossoit shutout
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Anthony Ward sent this in
Happy new year Joe Pane
Anthony Ward thank you, and I send my best wishes to you and your family for a safe and healthy 2022
Joe P.
Happy New Year to you. Thanks for all the info!!🏒🥅🖤🧡🎉🥳🇨🇦🍁#goKnightsgo #
Nick Steffen wrote
Great comments, as usual. The score didn’t reflect on how much the Knights outplayed the Ducks. Except for Gibson, it almost looked like a contest between an NHL team and an AHL team. I hope the new year treats you well.
Nick Steffen yes, the final score was not a reflection of how Vegas dominated the entire 200 x 80 surface of the ice. Gibson made it closer that it really was. Happy and a healthy New Year to you and your family.
Joe P.
Joseph Madera wrote this
Great recap of the game as always. Happy New Year 🏒🏒🏒
Thank you, Joseph, I send my best wishes to you and your family for a safe and healthy 2022. We all can use a healthy one that’s for sure.
Joe P.
Hey Joe.
Thanks for the recap.
Remember the game against the Islanders. Their coach sent in the clowns, sorry, the goons at the end of the game.
The Ducks coach did the same this game. They tried to go after a few VGK players to hurt them when they practically lost the game.
I watch a lot of games, two or more per day, and it´s very rare to see that kind of behavior. In the Jura-age of hockey it was a common way to end a dreadful loss.
A modern coach doesn´t use the intimidation method, but it seems to be a few coaches who believe in this.
Washington is the worst example of this in the NHL of today.
It doesn´t matter who´s coaching them, they play an awful kind of hockey.
They try to injure players, mostly the important ones.
Tom Wilson is the worst of them. He almost get away with his antics without even a two minute penalty.
He always go for the head and as he jumps when he hits his unsuspecting victim, his deadweight is almost deadly.
With players like Hathaway and Dowd on their team the Caps could trade away a nasty player like Dillon without any hesitation.
Why did Rangers trade for Reaves, Goodrow and Blais? They did it for sending a message to Washington, not for playing “goon-hockey”.
How can Vegas protect their star players when they are set under attack?
The ref´s aren´t protecting players who are hit more than a little late, especially the goalies.
There are players like Corey Perry who uses his stick as a spear, pushing it between the goalies legs or in his stomach.
As the stone-age hockey player he is, he uses the stick as an axe, chopping the goalies hands and arms black and blue.
All that without being penalized by the striped man with a white stick and a welltrained dog by his side. 😈🙈🙉🙊.
I think Vegas needs a player like Goodrow or Blais who can play without being afraid of being bullied by the bad boys.
Like Gourde (Kraken) did against Zadorov (Calgary), There were a difference in weight (62 lb) and in height (7 inches) but Gourde
didn´t back down at all. No fight but Gourde won by a mentally KO.
This time the VGK won the game, but who can protect the star players if they are attacked.
I don´t like it when Stone have to fight as he did last season. He´s to important to be injured because he can´t fight. The same goes with Patchy.
Kenneth
One thing that the VGK lost when the lost Ryan Reaves was an element of toughness. They really have nobody that makes the other team know that they will be repercussions if liberties are taken with their star players. Kolesar is all they have and McNabb but neither one of them make the other team think about what they are about to do.
Joe P.