Despite playing good hockey in the 10 games since the Olympic break, the Vegas Golden Knights have had little to show for it. He has struggled to put the puck in the back of the net and displayed an inability to stop the bleeding.
But on Saturday, the Golden Knights had no trouble imposing their will on a weaker opponent. In the first period, they scored three goals in 3:27 and never looked back en route to a 4–0 victory.
"The power play was huge," Kaidan Korczak said after the win. "The loaf is hot right now, so you just have to find it. Playing with the edge is much easier than chasing it."
For the third consecutive game, the Golden Knights played well right out of the gate. They outscored the Blackhawks 12-6 in the first period and created 11 scoring chances while holding Chicago to five.
The Golden Knights broke the ice on the first power play at 8:33. Mark Stone made a pass to Mitch Marner at the point from under the goal line and Marner touch-passed it to Pavel Dorofeyev at the right point. Dorofeyev uncorked a one-timer and beat Spencer Knight short side for his team-leading 33rd goal of the season.
The Golden Knights doubled their lead at 11:35 of the first. Pavel Dorofeyev protected the puck and drove deep into the zone; Andrew Mangiapane finally defeated it. Noah Hanifin got to the puck first and found Rasmus Andersson all alone in the right circle; Anderson came in and beat Spencer Knight to the short side.
The Golden Knights struck again after just 25 seconds following an impressive shift from their fourth line. Jeremy Lauzon fired a blast from the point, and Keegan Kolesar redirected it home.
“They really know what they are and how to play them,” fourth linebacker Bruce Cassidy said Thursday morning. “I don't think there's been a shift where they haven't had an opportunity to rush offense, or they haven't brought it deep and gone inside and tried to wear down the other team's offense a little bit.”
In the second period, the pressed Blackhawks began to show their frustration. The Golden Knights didn't press the gas, but they certainly took advantage of a weak Chicago team. They created six high-danger scoring chances while holding the Blackhawks to two and controlled 71.84% of the expected goal share.
The Golden Knights extended their lead at 12:51 of the second minute. Mark Stone deflected Mitch Marner's shot, and after a scramble in front of the net, Pavel Dorofeyev scored his second power play goal of the night.
Early in the third period, the Blackhawks thought they got on the board with an Artem Levshunov blast from distance. However, the Golden Knights successfully challenged to make up the missed game, restoring their four-goal lead and preserving Adin Hill's shutout bid.
In his postgame press conference, Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy credited Mark Stone and Shea Theodore for catching the missed game stoppages.
"[Stoney] And Theo saw it, and came over to the bench," Cassidy admitted. "That was really a pickup by our players."
The physicality increased as the third period progressed, but the Golden Knights never gave up an inch. They generated eight high-danger chances while limiting Chicago to four, and controlled 66.18% of the expected goal share.
Cassidy said after the win, "It's good for our team when we get dragged into battles like this." "Our group has always been together. The guys on the bench, Stoney standing, and the barbie. Now, it's on. That's what's kept people involved."
The Golden Knights' 4–0 victory ended Chicago's two-game winning streak. Adin Hill continued his 21-save shutout and posted a 3.65 GSAX.
