標籤: Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights (4-2) scored early and often, including two from Pavel Dorofeyev, as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks (2-4) 5-1 in Game 6 to reach the Western Conference Finals for the fifth time in their nine-year history. Consider that only half of the 32 NHL teams, all of which have been in existence much longer than the Golden Knights, have reached the conference finals five or more times. Additionally, the Golden Knights have now won 14 series, the most in the NHL since the franchise entered the league after moving to Tampa Bay. Despite leading the series 3-2, they improved to 9-1 all-time.

Just 1:02 into the game, William Carlson lofted Mitch Marner on a breakaway and Marner scored what was perhaps his most spectacular goal of the postseason. Marner stopped in front of Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal, turned to his backhand, slid the puck tight behind Dostal, then pulled the puck through his legs and hit it to his forehand while he still had his back to Dostal. It was Marner’s seventh goal of the postseason and his league-leading 17th postseason point. Marner also got involved in the Golden Knights’ second goal a little more than seven minutes later.

With Anaheim on the power play, the Golden Knights were fouled out of their own zone. Despite trailing by a man, the Golden Knights skated into Anaheim territory on a three-on-two break. Marner skated harmlessly into the zone, while Brett Howden took a quick drive toward the net and past the Anaheim defense. Howden then immediately established himself in the bottom of the right circle and took a cross-ice, diagonal pass from Marner and one-timed it past Dostal on a down-and-out. This was, at the time, a league-leading eighth post-season goal for Howden, which is notable as he had scored only 12 goals in 58 regular season games. The goal was also a notable fourth short-handed goal of the postseason for the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights’ other special teams unit also got in on the action with 2:41 left in the first period. With Anaheim forward Alex Killorn down for hooking, the Golden Knights’ power play came in handy and scored with just five seconds left on the man-advantage. In a must-see shot from center point, Shea Theodore (4) fired a puck through heavy traffic that went past Dostal’s right ear and put the Golden Knights ahead with a trio of goals.

The first period of the Golden Knights was as impressive as the Bellagio Conservatory. By the end of the period, the Golden Knights had scored at even strength, short-handed and on the power play. The three goals came on just nine shots, while holding Anaheim to just four. The Golden Knights also won 61.1 percent of faceoffs in the first frame.

Anaheim was finally able to solve Carter Hart in the second, but would need a power play to do so. After Golden Knights forward Nick Dowd kicked the puck out of play and was whistled for delay of game, Anaheim went to work on its third power play opportunity of the game. Mikael Granlund (5) delivered a brilliant cross-ice centering pass to Troy Terry that knocked down Hart with the side of his glove at 12:46 of the second minute to pull Anaheim to within two, 3-1. Despite allowing shorthanded goals, the Anaheim power play improved significantly as the series progressed. With the power play tally, the Ducks improved to 4-for-9 on the power play in the last three games after going 0-for-11 in the first three games. This would be the only goal scored in the second and the score remained 3–1 at the second intermission.

Any hopes Anaheim had of a comeback were ended by the Golden Knights early in the third. While Anaheim outshot Vegas 15–3 in the frame, it was the Golden Knights who scored twice. Less than three minutes into the third, Ivan Barbashev caught Anaheim defenseman John Carlson’s failed clearing attempt, then delivered a slick backhand pass to Pavel Dorofeyev (8) in the right circle, who fired a wrist shot past Dostal’s blocker at 2:52 of the third. Just ten minutes later, Dorofeyev scored another goal on a poorly angled shot from below the right circle to give the Golden Knights a 5–1 lead. The goal moved Dorofeyev past teammate Brett Howden for most postseason goals in the NHL with nine.

At the end of the third, Anaheim pulled Dostal and fired a large number of shots at Hart, but none found the back of the net and the Golden Knights won the series. The Golden Knights will now advance to the Western Conference Finals where they will face the NHL’s best regular-season team, the Colorado Avalanche. Game 1 takes place on Wednesday at 5PM PT in Denver.

notes

• Vegas defenseman Braden McNabb served a one-game suspension for interference against Anaheim center Ryan Poehling in Game 5. McNabb has played in 757 games for the Golden Knights in the regular season and postseason combined, the most in franchise history.
• Anaheim went into Game 6 with a 7–0 all-time lead at home.
• Anaheim did not lose consecutive games this postseason and finished the season 4–2 at home, with the only two losses coming in Vegas.

statistics

• Shots on goal favor Anaheim, 32–21.
• Amazingly, the faceoff winning percentage was exactly the same as Game 5, 53.1% to 46.9% in favor of Vegas.
• Vegas was 1-2 on the power play, while Anaheim was 1-5.
• Anaheim had the edge in hits, 30–24.
• Vegas stopped 13 shots, while Anaheim stopped 11.
• Anaheim had three more possessions than Vegas, 20–17.
• Anaheim got a slight edge in takeaways, 5-4.

In a game that had more ups and downs than a Vegas Cirque du Soleil show, the Vegas Golden Knights (3-2) defeated the Anaheim Ducks (2-3) in overtime to win Game 5 and take a 3-2 series lead. This game had everything, power play goals, big hits, an ejection, big saves, and a great performance from Pavel Dorofeyev, returning to the ice to score the OT winner, his second of the game, after leaving with a serious injury.

Both teams only lost a player in the nine-minute battle for the remainder of the game, but for very different reasons. Golden Knights defenseman Braden McNabb blocked Ryan Poehling well away from the puck and fouled him, fouling him from the game. After officials conducted a video review of the game, McNabb was assessed a five-minute penalty for interference and a game misconduct. Poehling, meanwhile, was clearly dazed and needed help leaving the ice. Anaheim, then went to work on a five-minute power play.

While the Golden Knights did an admirable job of eliminating the first three-plus minutes of the major, Anaheim ultimately capitalized on the extended man-advantage. Cutter Gauthier made a good play to stop the puck on the right wall by flipping his stick and keeping the toe of his stick perpendicular to the ice. He then collected the puck and flipped it over Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart. The shot hit Hart’s right pad and went into the crease. Unfortunately for Hart, Beckett Seneca (5), stood unopposed near the left post and pounced on the rebound, shoveling it through the five-hole of the Golden Knights netminder. The goal came at 12:36 of the first and was Seneca’s fourth consecutive game with a goal in the series.

A few minutes later, Mitch Marner drove in on a breakaway, but Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal was able to poke-check the puck. However, on a breakaway, Marner was intercepted by Pavel Mintyukov and the Golden Knights went on what would be their only power play of the game. When Pavel Dorofeyev hit the ice, he was like a one-man demolition team, picking up Chris Kreider’s stick and stealing the puck, weaving out and down the crease, then firing a laser shot over Dostal’s blocker. It was Dorofeyev’s sixth goal of the postseason and second power-play goal in as many games.

With exactly 11 minutes left in the second, Dorofeyev would again be the center of attention, but for a different reason. As Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe wound up taking a slap shot from the left point, Dorofeyev, who was no more than six feet away, stood right in front of the missile from LaCombe’s stick and took it off the inside of his right knee. He remained lying on the ice for several minutes, had to be helped off the ice and immediately went to the locker room. He would miss the rest of the second period, but returned for the third period, thanks to the Golden Knights.

While there was no scoring in the second period, it was not due to a lack of opportunities, especially for Anaheim. The Ducks outshot the Golden Knights 17–6 in the second period, including 10 consecutive shots, but Hart was sharp and missed all 17 attempts. Neither team got a power play in the second or third period, as the game tightened up and fights subsided after the whistle.

To start the third period, the Golden Knights came out with a shooter’s mentality and overcame a 26-17 shot deficit. This was evidenced by the Golden Knights taking three shots in the first 4:48 of the period, the third of which went in. It was good old-fashioned hard work that got the Golden Knights the go-ahead goal. Rasmus Andersson hit a puck on net from the right wall that bounced off Dostal and just outside the crease. Upon seeing the bounding puck, Tomas Hertl (2) dropped to his knees, pounced in desperation to bat at the rebound, and managed to beat Dostal at 4:48 of the third minute to give the Golden Knights a 2–1 lead. For Hertl, it was his second consecutive game with a goal after going 29 consecutive games without a point.

With time running out in regulation, the Ducks came out with their most effective innings of the game. The Ducks kept the Golden Knights in their own zone for long periods of time and were shooting the puck around. Finally, the Ducks completed a tic-tac-toe passing play that passed from Gauthier to Mason McTavish in the bottom of the right circle and to Olen Zellweger (1), who initially flubbed the McTavish pass, but after double clutching, hit a heavy shot off the crossbar and tied the game at two, allowing the score to remain tied at the end of regulation and making the game the 16th game of these playoffs beyond that. Will increase. regulation

Although there have been many games that have gone into overtime in these playoffs, this will not be one of them. Less than five minutes into the extra frame, and after two unsuccessful clearing attempts by Anaheim, the puck ended up on Jack Eichel’s stick in the bottom of the right circle. His centering pass attempt hit Dostal’s pads and deflected onto Dorofeyev’s stick in the bottom of the left circle. Dorofeyev (7) wasted no time trying to settle the bouncing puck, instead pouncing on it and sending it bar-and-down over Dostal’s right shoulder for the game-winner. The goal came at 4:10 of overtime and was his second goal of the night and seventh of the postseason.

The Golden Knights are hoping history repeats itself this season. The Golden Knights found themselves in a similar situation against the Utah Mammoth in the first round. Heading home for Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2. The Golden Knights won that game 5–4 in double overtime before ending the series with a 5–1 win at Utah in Game 6. Game 6 of this series takes place on Thursday in Anaheim and the Golden Knights will look to finish the second round like they did the first round.

notes

• Both the Golden Knights and Ducks were once again without their captains. Ducks captain Radko Gudas missed his eighth consecutive game with a lower body injury and Mark Stone also missed his second consecutive game with a lower body injury.
• When the best-of-seven series is tied 2–2, the winner of Game 5 wins it 79.6 percent of the time (242–62). If the home team wins Game 5, it advances 80.7 percent of the time (151–36).

figures

• Shots on goal gave Anaheim a 36–32 win.
• Vegas had the edge in the faceoff circle, 53.1% to 46.9%.
• Vegas was 1-1 on the power play, while Anaheim was 1-2.
• Vegas had a slight edge in hits, 29-26.
• Vegas stopped 18 shots, while Anaheim stopped eight.
• Vegas had four more giveaways than Anaheim, 17–13, while takeaways favored Anaheim, 8–5.

What was at stake for the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 in Anaheim on Sunday night? Teams that take a 3–1 lead in a best-of-seven series win the series 90 percent of the time (247 out of 275). Additionally, if a Game 4 win comes en route to taking a 3–1 series lead, that team wins 92 percent (151 of 165) of the series. Given these percentages, the pressure was on the Anaheim Ducks (2-2), who rose to the occasion and scored two power play goals en route to a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights (2-2).

Both teams were without captains. Anaheim was missing Radko Gudas for the seventh consecutive game, while the Golden Knights were without captain Mark Stone due to an undisclosed injury. Stone played only 4:24 minutes in Game 3 before being sidelined with a non-contact injury. Without Stone in the lineup this season, the Golden Knights were 8–9–5 and a winning percentage of .519, while with him they were 31–17–12 and a winning percentage of .593.

The scoring began when Anaheim finally figured out the Vegas penalty kill and got the first goal of the game via the power play. The Anaheim power play was 0-11 before Game 4, but that changed at 8:43 of the first when Beckett Seneke (4) blasted a slap shot through Carter Hart’s five-hole from the top of the right circle to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead. It was Seneca’s third consecutive game with a goal in the series. Not only was the Golden Knights’ penalty kill perfect in the series before Seneke’s goal, it had killed 21 consecutive penalties and 26 of 27.

Just 1:40 into Seneke’s goal, the Golden Knights got a power play goal of their own, tying the game at one point. Jack Eichel took a slap shot from the top of the left circle that bounced off the glove of Anaheim netminder Lucas Dostal. Before Dostal could get the rebound, Pavel Dorofeyev (5) beat Anaheim forward Mikael Granlund on net, attacked the puck and put it into the net for Vegas’ third power play goal of the series in ten chances.

While Granlund could not tie Dorofeyev on the tying goal, after only 5:05, he atoned for his sins by scoring a goal on an awkward bounce. Granlund (4) fired a wrist shot from inside the left circle that hit the stick of Golden Knights forward Cole Smith, causing the stick to slip out of his hand. The deflection of Smith’s stick changed the trajectory of the puck, bouncing off the ice just past Hart and then through his tool to give Anaheim a 2–1 lead.

Vegas is known for its many high-profile magic shows, with William Carlson performing magic tricks such as Shin Lim delivering a pass to Brett Howden for a goal. Karlsson was the first to forecheck and got the puck on his stick under the goal line. As he was enduring a big hit from Jacob Trouba, he somehow delivered a backhand pass from an extremely tight area to Howden (7), who beat his man in front of the net and Karlsson was able to chip the pass over Dostal to tie the game at two. The goal came at 4:04 and Howden tied Minnesota’s Matt Boldy for most postseason goals. Mitch Marner picked up a secondary assist, moving him ahead of Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov for most points in the postseason with 15 points. Marner finished the night with three points, giving him seven points in his last two games.

Anaheim got its third power play opportunity of the game at the end of the second frame and solved the Vegas penalty kill for the second time in the game. After Seneca entered a beautiful area and did some perimeter passing, Alex Killorn (4) collected a loose puck in the bottom of the right circle, drove hard toward the net, and then fired a wrist shot that went under Hart’s left hand and in at 17:58 of the second.

After trailing by a goal to start the third, the Golden Knights started the frame on a power play due to Seneca taking a cross-checking call at the 20-minute mark of the second period. However, Anaheim was able to kill a penalty and then maintain that momentum to take a two-goal lead shortly thereafter. At the 3:43 mark of the third, Anaheim defenseman Ian Moore (1) took a slap shot from the left point with a puck that was near the rim. The shot deflected off the back of the net and deflected off Hart’s blocker, giving Anaheim a 4-2 lead. It was the first career playoff goal for the 24-year-old Moore, who was a healthy scratch for Anaheim in Games 2 and 3.

With Hart pulled for the extra attacker, Tomas Hertl (1) got on the board at 18:56 of the third minute to make things interesting, scoring his first goal in 29 games, on March 4, but it proved to be too little, too late, as the Golden Knights iced the puck with 10 seconds remaining, dashing any hopes of tying the game.

Three-to-two odds for blackjack in a Vegas casino are the best you can get. Likewise, whichever team wins Game 5 on Tuesday will take a three-to-two series lead and that team will certainly like its chances of going to the Western Conference Finals.

notes

• Anaheim’s win after leading by multiple goals was the Ducks’ 24th consecutive win in playoff history.
• With Mark Stone in the lineup, the Golden Knights are averaging 3.32 goals per game. His average without Stone in the lineup is 2.96. Similarly, the power play percentage is 22.6% with Stone in the lineup, but only 17.0% with Stone out.

statistics

• Shots on goal gave Anaheim a 23–21 victory.
• Faceoff win percentages were 52.9 percent for Vegas and 47.1 percent for Anaheim.
• Vegas was 1-3 on the power play, while Anaheim was 2-4.
• The Hits defeated Anaheim 34–27.
• Vegas had a 14-13 edge in blocked shots.
• Vegas had four more giveaways than Anaheim, 14 versus 10.
• Vegas won the takeaway battle 7-5.

It took just 66 seconds for the Anaheim Ducks’ good vibes to end in Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights won 6-2 on their first shot of the game Friday at Honda Center on the strength of Mitch Marner’s first career Stanley Cup playoff hat trick.

Former Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, and Brayden McNabb scored a key short-handed goal in the first period. Lucas Dostal allowed three goals on eight shots and was pulled for Ville Husso for the second time in these playoffs.

Husso made 17 saves and Bennett Seneca and Chris Kreider each had a goal for Anaheim. Vegas leads the best-of-7 series, and Game 4 takes place on Sunday at Honda Center at 6:30 pm PT.

Ducks power play fails again

The Ducks’ inability to solve the Golden Knights’ offensive penalty kill was a big story entering the game on Friday. But in Game 3, Anaheim’s man-advantage was an active handicap.

The Ducks again went 0-for on two power-play attempts – extending their drought in the Vegas series to 11. But McNabb’s short-handed goal, which came on a nice drop pass from Marner at 12:13 of the first period, was a back-breaker that put the Golden Knights up 2–0.

“I think we’ve got to go with a weird goal there,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I think we have to establish more shots, not just the right shot or the right way to pass it into the back of the net.”

Anaheim’s power play was an X-factor in a six-game series win over the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Their first power play featured a solid setup and some extended zone time, but neither unit could beat Vegas goalie Carter Hart, who made 31 saves.

“We found something good there,” Quenneville said. “I think we have to be smooth on second and third chances based on good looks and pay that price.”

But the Ducks’ power play is becoming a momentum killer in this series, as in addition to the goal allowed, Anaheim had several squirting Vegas was shorthanded on the power play Friday.

Vegas’ strong start leaves Anaheim in trouble

The Ducks have found a way to rally all postseason. But it is difficult to get off the mat again and again.

Theodore struck out just 1:06 into the game, fielding a clean, cross-slot pass from Jack Eichel and beating Dostal on the Golden Knights’ first shot.

The Ducks were resilient, again scoring a pair of penalties in the first 10 minutes of the game. McNabb’s shorty deepened the hole, and Marner’s goal, which came with 4.6 seconds left in the first period, sent Vegas to the dressing room with a 3–0 lead.

“I didn’t mind our start until they scored a goal and we lost momentum there,” Quenneville said. “Getting that third at the end of the period was definitely a killer. That was basically the game.”

Quenneville, a coach for more than two decades with three Stanley Cup rings, saw Vegas take their game to a new level in Game 3 and he understands it’s time for his team to do the same.

“We have games like this, and we have to make sure we respond in the right way, which is [this is] Unacceptable,” Quenneville said. “I think we should take a lesson from today’s game. It will become more difficult with each game. “It’s not going to be easy, so let’s be ready to go to war.”

A goalkeeper controversy?

Dostal was pulled in the first period of Game 5 against the Oilers, seemingly as a message sent to the Ducks and a way to get them a break in a game that had gotten out of hand.

But pulling Dostal in Game 3 on Friday suddenly felt like a message to the embattled goaltender, especially after he gave up two goals on the first three shots he faced. His save percentage has dropped to .867, and Dostal has given up at least three goals in six of his 10 contests.

Even if you gave him the pass for Theodore’s opening goal, Dostal had to stop McNabb’s innocuous-looking shot that turned out to be a disastrous short-handed goal. He also missed Marner’s initial attempt, giving the wing a chance to score on the rebound.

When Quenneville was asked if he had pulled Dostal to send a message to the team or the goaltender, he said briefly, “Both.”

Husso, who played 20 games for the Ducks during the regular season, held Marner to two goals on 19 shots faced. Husso has a 2.12 goals-against average and .900 save% in his two starts, but he played in seven games for the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 playoffs.

Going down 3-1 to Vegas, which is both seasoned and experienced, would effectively be a death sentence. So the most likely outcome will be that Dostal will start with Husso waiting to enter if the Ducks goalie fumbles again.

Not surprisingly, Quenneville wouldn’t confirm his plans for Sunday’s all-important Game 4.

When Quenneville was asked who would play goal, he said, “We’ll see.”

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.

It took more than half a game for either team to score in Game 2 between the Vegas Golden Knights (1-1) and Anaheim Ducks (1-1). There were no such problems in Game 3, as the Golden Knights scored early and often, including a hat trick from Mitch Marner, to win Game 3, 6–2, and take a 2–1 series lead.

The Golden Knights scored on five-on-five, short-handed and power plays in the first period. It was his third, three-goal period of the playoffs. Just 1:06 into the game, Jack Eichel, stationed near the bottom left wall, delivered a perfect cross-ice pass to defenseman Shea Theodore (3), who beat Anaheim goalie Lucas Dostal from the crease. Anaheim forward Ryan Poehling appeared to screen Dostel and never saw the shot, which was Vegas’ first shot of the game.

The Golden Knights’ top playoff penalty kill unit continued their stellar play and scored their third short-handed goal of the postseason to give Vegas a 2-0 lead. Mitch Marner moved the puck into the Anaheim zone against a tired Anaheim group. Once over the blue line, he dropped the puck to oncoming Braden McNabb (1), who skated down the left wing and flicked a wrist shot from the faceoff dot inside the left circle that went under Dostal’s glove at 12:13 of the first.

Just as the Golden Knights scored early, they also scored late. On his first power play opportunity of the game, and with just 4.6 seconds remaining in the period, Marner (4) got a loose rebound that Dostal could not stop and stuffed it just inside the left post to give the Golden Knights a 3–0 lead. However, the news was not good for the Golden Knights in the first start, as they lost their captain Mark Stone to injury after only 4:24 of play.

It was a disappointing first period for Anaheim, as they had more shots (11 to 8), more power play chances (2 to 1), more hits (15–11), and eight fewer assists than the Golden Knights (11 to 3), yet found themselves in a 3–0 deficit. He also made a goal change to start the second period, pulling Dostal and calling on Ville Husso.

While Husso made some early saves, Marner and the Golden Knights quickly addressed that as well. A tic-tac-toe passing sequence between Brett Howden, Theodore and Marner followed, which ended with Marner (5) taking a stick tackle around Husso and slicing the puck inside the empty net on his backhand at 9:19 of the second to put the Golden Knights up 4–0.

Marner, who moved into the top line in Stone’s absence, continued his dominance and completed a natural hat trick at 17:56 of the second. The combination of William Carlson and Marner wore Anaheim down a lot. Karlsson won a puck battle below the goal line and got the puck to Marner, who then stepped out from behind the net and fired a harmless shot toward Husso that bounced under his right pad to increase the Golden Knights’ lead to five. The goal completed the first postseason career hat trick for Marner and also set a new career high for points in a playoff game with four.

Anaheim finally got a chance to get past Vegas netminder Carter Hart at 6:30 of the third. Alex Killorn took a poorly angled slap shot from just below the right circle that hit Hart under his right armpit and rolled into the net. Both of the Golden Knights’ defensemen struggled to clear the puck, but Anaheim rookie forward Beckett Seneca (3) dived on the loose puck and was able to knock it over the goal line to ruin Hart’s shutout bid and make the score 5–1.

Chris Kreider (2) pulled Anaheim to within three when he found himself alone in the crease with the puck on his stick and fired a shot past Hart’s glove at 15:09 of the third. The goal was Kreider’s 50th career playoff goal. However, that was as close as Anaheim got, with Howden (6) scoring into an empty net at 18:04 of the third minute to give the Golden Knights a 6–2 lead.

notes

• The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has killed 27 of 28 penalties so far in the postseason.
• The loss was Anaheim’s first at home in the playoffs. They were ahead 3-0 at Honda Center.

figures

• The shots on goal gave Anaheim a 33–28 victory.
• Hits were 53–23 in favor of Anaheim.
• Power play chances were three for Vegas and two for Anaheim.
• Faceoff winning percentage favored Vegas 56.9% to 43.1%.
• Blocked shots heavily favored Vegas 20-6.
• Vegas had double the gift, 16-8, but the takeaway was also double, 8-4.

Finding a goal in Game 2 proved as difficult as finding a single-zero roulette wheel in a Vegas casino for the Vegas Golden Knights (1-1), falling 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks (1-1) on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Great play from Anaheim goaltender Lucas Dostal and two missed defensive assignments by the Golden Knights, which led directly to Anaheim goals, proved to be the difference in the game.

Although the first period was scoreless, it was not due to lack of opportunities. Anaheim had a golden opportunity to score the game’s first goal early in the first period when the Golden Knights took four consecutive penalties. First, Tomas Hertl was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking John Carlson at 3:14, then Mitch Marner was whistled for delay of game for shooting the puck out of play, and then just when things seemed like they couldn’t get any worse for the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel took a double-minor for high-sticking Mikael Granlund at 5:33.

The Anaheim power play shot an astonishing 50% in the first round against Edmonton, but went 0-4 in Game 1 and then went 0-4 on four consecutive first period chances in Game 2. The Golden Knights’ penalty kill was so effective that Anaheim recorded zero shots during a combined 1:42 of 5-on-3 play. The Golden Knights penalty kill has been stellar so far in the playoffs, boasting a 95% success rate before an ideal five-on-five performance in Game 2.

Besides the Golden Knights’ penalty kill, the other storyline of the first period was shot inconsistency. The Golden Knights went 12+ minutes without a shot, including a two-minute power play opportunity where they did not attempt a single shot. The Golden Knights recorded a shot from Hertl at 16:46 of the first and did not get another shot until Ben Hutton had a shot on goal at 3:57. Overall, the Golden Knights were outshot 13-4 in the first.

The Golden Knights may have noticed the shot inconsistency in the first because they came out firing in the second, recording three shots on goal in the first minute of the frame and outscoring Anaheim 11-7 in the period. Despite the Golden Knights taking a greater amount of shots in the second period, it would be Anaheim who would get the first goal of the game. A defensive lapse by the Golden Knights left rookie Beckett Seneca (2) open in front of their net, allowing him to receive a Jeffrey Wiel pass from below the goal line and he immediately took the puck, beating Golden Knights netminder Carter Hart to his blocking side at 11:23 of the second. It was only the second time in eight playoff games that Anaheim scored the first goal of the game.

With exactly two minutes left in the second, Anaheim got its fifth power play opportunity and a chance to take a two-goal lead, but the Golden Knights penalty kill once again came into play and the score remained 1–0 heading into the third period.

Another missed defensive assignment by the Golden Knights gave the Ducks an elusive two-goal lead at 6:36 of the third. Leo Karlsson (4) was left alone in front of the Golden Knights net and was able to receive a beautiful backhand, cross-ice pass from Troy Terry and chip the puck up and over the glove Hart, who had no chance to make the play.

The Golden Knights got their third power play chance of the game with 8:23 left in regulation and nearly scored on a wild scramble in front of the Anaheim net. With Dostel stretched flat on the ice, exposing a wide-open net, Ducks forward Mikael Granlund made a glove save on the Golden Knights’ shot attempt, destroying what little momentum the Golden Knights had generated from the man-advantage.

Trailing by two, the Golden Knights pulled Hart for an extra attacker with four minutes remaining in regulation, but Anaheim immediately scored into an empty net to take a 3–0 lead. Just when a shutout seemed inevitable for Anaheim, the Golden Knights got a late power play, during which Mark Stone (3) deflected an Eichel shot with just six seconds remaining, ruining Dostal’s shutout bid, which would have been Anaheim’s first shutout all season.

With the series now tied at 1-1, the venue will change to the Honda Center with Game 3 taking place on Friday night.

notes

Dating back to the regular season, Tomas Hertl has now played 28 games without scoring a goal.

Ivan Barbashev’s seven-game playoff points streak was snapped.

figures

Shots on goal for the game favored the Ducks, 28–22.

The number of hits each was even at 39.

Faceoff winning percentage favored the Golden Knights 63.2% to 36.8%.

Blocked shots favored the Golden Knights 19-14.

The Golden Knights had 19 rebounds, while the Ducks had 15.

The Vegas Golden Knights used another strong offensive performance to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 2-0 on Monday night. They are now 6-0-1 since the hiring of head coach John Tortorella.

The win extended the Golden Knights’ point streak to nine games, and they now have sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division and a chance to clinch a win against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

Amidst the noise around the league, the first season was quiet. The Golden Knights forced a power-play by sending Adam Lowry for holding.

Not much happened on the power play, and neither did the Golden Knights for most of the period, which ended scoreless after 20 minutes.

It was Mark Stone who first got the Golden Knights on board. There was a shorthanded two-on between him and Jack Eichel and Stone beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

The puck went to the five-hole on Hellebuyck and took a lucky bounce, giving the Golden Knights the lead midway through the second period.

After what felt like a parade in the penalty box by both teams, Reilly Smith scored his 14th goal of the season by deflecting a shot past defenseman Noah Hanifin.

This gave the Golden Knights a 2–0 lead at the end of the second period, often called the worst lead in hockey but it played no role. Early in the third period, Eichel delivered a no-look pass to Ivan Barbashev, who headed into the open net and the score became 3–0.

Later in the third, Gabe Vilardi got the Jets on the board. Mark Scheifele added another soon after, cutting the deficit to 4–2.

Vegas answered on a double minor after Scheifele was called for high-sticking Rasmus Andersson. Pavel Dorofeyev took advantage of the power play and scored his 20th of the season with the man-advantage to cut the Golden Knights lead to 5–2.

Eichel later scored his first power play goal of the season on the same power play to make the score 6–2 Golden Knights.

Vegas will face the Kraken in their final game of the regular season on Wednesday at 7pm with a chance to take over the division by gaining a point.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

The Vegas Golden Knights have punched their ticket to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Vegas secured their postseason berth with a 3–2 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche, moving into first place in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights are now one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks.

Colorado opened the scoring on the power play when defenseman Devon Toews scored his third goal of the season. With Cal Maker sidelined by injury, Toews stepped into an increased role and quickly performed well. Gabriel Landeskog provided a screen in front of goaltender Carter Hart.

Vegas responded immediately. Mark Stone turned the puck in before backhanding it to Mackenzie Blackwood to tie the score at 1-1.

Late in the period, Pavel Dorofeyev finished a setup from Ivan Barbashev to give Vegas the lead. With traffic in front of Brett Howden, Blackwood never got a shot off. The goal was Dorofeyev’s 36th goal of the season, giving him consecutive 35-goal campaigns.

The Avalanche responded to tie the game at 2-2. Nick Blankenburg scored his first goal with Colorado after being acquired at the trade deadline, and scored his seventh goal of the season on an assist from former Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy.

The third period featured end-to-end action, with both teams creating quality chances but unable to convert. The Golden Knights played hard defensively late, limiting high-danger looks and getting key stops from Hart to force overtime.

In the extra frames, Jack Eichel scored the winner, his 26th goal of the season, moving the Golden Knights past the top team in the NHL. Eichel’s goal capped a strong night for the Golden Knights’ top line, which generated consistent pressure in the offensive zone.

With the win, the Golden Knights moved back into first place in the Pacific Division. If the playoffs started today, the Golden Knights would face the first wild-card team, the Utah Mammoth.

The Golden Knights will return home to close out the regular season with two games at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights will host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, April 13, before concluding the regular season against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, April 15.

A strong finish could secure the division title and home-ice advantage as the Golden Knights look to carry momentum into the postseason.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

The Vegas Golden Knights enter Saturday with a long-awaited opportunity to make the playoffs after a season that has included many ups and downs. After moving on from head coach Bruce Cassidy and making a move at the trade deadline, the Golden Knights now find themselves within reach of the postseason, a situation that once seemed uncertain.

This opportunity came against the NHL’s top team, the Colorado Avalanche. The Golden Knights can secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in one of two ways, which we’ll get into shortly.

For a team that has endured ups and downs in a tumultuous campaign, the stakes are clear. Take care of business and the Golden Knights have arrived. Let’s look at those two options.

1. Victory and the Golden Knights have arrived

Of course, the easiest path forward for the Golden Knights is a win over the Avalanche, although that’s easier said than done. A win would all but secure their playoff spot, eliminating the need to rely on help elsewhere and providing a jolt of momentum heading into the final stages.

Avalanching is a difficult task. They are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and have already secured the President’s Trophy, which is awarded annually to the team with the league’s best regular season record.

For the Golden Knights, the match also marks the end of a four-game road trip in which they have gone 2-0-1, extending their point streak to seven games. In keeping with their postseason fortunes, the Golden Knights come off playing some of their most consistent hockey of the season.

2. Loss to the Nashville Predators or Winnipeg Jets

If the Golden Knights fall to the Avalanche, their playoff hopes can still be secured with the right results during the league.

If either the Nashville Predators or Winnipeg Jets lose, the Golden Knights will clinch a postseason berth. In that scenario, they would maintain enough separation in the standings to secure their spot, regardless of their own result.

Although returning to the playoffs is not the preferred path, it would still serve the primary purpose of extending the season.

Puck drop in Denver is at 5:00pm PST.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

The Vegas Golden Knights have named goaltender Akira Schmid as their candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

All NHL teams nominate a player for the award, which is presented each year to the player who best exemplifies tenacity, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

“Akira Schmid’s perseverance and dedication to hockey has paid off as he signs with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025-26, plays his first full season in the NHL and starts for Switzerland at the Olympics,” the PHWA said. “Schmid spent most of the last four years improving his game in the Minors, and achieved career highs in terms of starts and wins in the NHL. In a season of inconsistency and injuries in the Vegas crease, Schmid has been consistent for the Golden Knights and is a big reason they are still in playoff position.

He is an excellent teammate and plays whatever role is asked of him, which often includes skating late with the shooters after practice, or entering games in the cold and playing lights out to steady the ship. “His humble, internally driven mentality is perfect for a role that is often underappreciated but has played a crucial role for the team.”

This season, the 25-year-old goaltender has started 34 games and posted a 16-10-6 record with a .893 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average.

Since the return of Carter Hart, Schmid appears to be the third goaltender on the roster moving forward behind Adin Hill, with no clear path to a starting role unless an injury occurs.

The Golden Knights will play the Seattle Kraken on Thursday at 7:00 pm and will be looking for their fifth consecutive win under head coach John Tortorella.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

In a moment of hope for Vancouver Canucks fans, Max Sasson gave the team a second period lead, but it did not last. The Canucks ultimately lost 2–1 to the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, with Cole Smith scoring the winner midway through the third. The Canucks also came up empty late on the power play due to the goalie being pulled.

Vegas extended its winning streak to four games and remains unbeaten under new coach John Tortorella. ESPN’s recap noted that the win also completed a three-game season sweep of the Canucks, something most fans would like to forget.

Despite the result, it was not a complete walkover. The game was on edge, spaced out and didn’t look very clean in any way. When a team is struggling, these are the nights where a mistake, a fumble, or a lost puck in the neutral zone can ruin the game. And that’s pretty much what happened here with the Canucks.

game flow

At 12:50 of the second period, Sasson finally broke through for the Canucks, beating Carter Hart with a wrist shot over the glove for his 13th goal of the season. It felt like the Canucks earned something for sticking with the slower, tighter game.

However, less than three minutes later, Braden McNabb answered for Vegas with a shot through traffic, and before the Canucks could really regain the lead, everything was reset.

Then the Golden Knights took the lead. Smith scored with 12:13 left in the third minute after a neutral-zone takeaway and a pass from Nick Dowd put him in high position.

The Golden Knights’ defense did the rest, including killing penalties in the final two minutes. The Canucks got the chances you wanted late, with Rasmus Andersen called for interference and Nikita Tolopilo pulling the extra attacker, but the push never ended.

the statue that stands out

A number is more important than anything else in this game. The Golden Knights held the Canucks to just 11 shots. This is the fewest shots allowed in its short franchise history.

In comparison, Tolopillo made 26 saves at the other end. That contradiction speaks volumes.

The Canucks got enough goals to go around, but they didn’t generate enough aggression to generate pressure.

For the Canucks, it felt familiar in the worst way. There was effort, there was a brief lead, and there was even a real chance to force overtime late. But the attack remained weak.

The Canucks head to Los Angeles for the start of a three-game road trip, while the Golden Knights head to Seattle with a little more life than a week ago.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their lead with a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night, their fourth straight win. They also remained undefeated under new head coach John Tortorella.

Even this late in the season, the so-called “coaching bump” is proving to be very real in Las Vegas. Since Tortorella took over behind the bench, the Golden Knights have looked much better and it’s clearly paying off.

However, tonight didn’t start off well. The Golden Knights took control of the game early and outshot Vancouver in the first period, but the Canucks struck first.

Midway through the second period, Max Sasson fired a pass past goaltender Carter Hart to give Vancouver a 1–0 lead. It’s a goal Hart will likely want to get back to, especially with the playoffs approaching and his role looking like the No. 1 goalie for the team moving forward.

Shortly after Sasson’s goal, Braden McNabb scored his fifth goal of the season to tie the game. While Tomas Hertl did not record a point in the game, his net-front presence was large, providing an ideal screen that made Vancouver goaltender Nikita Tolopillo difficult to see.

The second period ended quietly, and the third followed a similar script. But midway through the final frame, Cole Smith made the breakthrough. His go-ahead goal gave Vegas a 2–1 lead, and was ultimately the game-winner.

The Golden Knights pressed defensively, allowing a total of 10 shots on goal, the fewest ever allowed in franchise history, surpassing the previous mark of 14.

Vegas now continues its four-game road trip with a stop in Seattle against the Kraken before finishing up in Colorado. Now the question is, can they make it five straight?

It’s also worth noting that with this win, the Golden Knights are now tied for first place in the Pacific Division with the Edmonton Oilers, further solidifying their late-season push. We’ll see if a fifth division title is on the way with only four games left in the regular season.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

It was a strange night for the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames, not because of the result, but because of how it all unfolded.

During the second intermission, the game was delayed for an unusual reason: a problem with the ice surface. Both captains, Mark Stone and Mikael Backlund, made several trips to the bench to observe conditions and talk to the referee.

Arena staff worked to fix the problem, while in-game entertainment continued while remaining consistent with the Las Vegas atmosphere. The delay lasted 26 minutes and disrupted the flow of an already back-and-forth game.

Despite this, the Golden Knights remained perfect under head coach John Tortorella, and continued the momentum late in the season, going 34–26–16 and defeating the Flames 6–3.

Calgary opened the scoring with Morgan Frost scoring her 19th goal of the season. Frost had time and space and defeated Carter Hart cleanly. Hart finished the game with an .864 save percentage and 3.00 goals-against average.

The Golden Knights responded and Mitch Marner deflected Shea Theodore’s shot to tie the game at 1–1.

Less than three minutes later, Blake Coleman restored Calgary’s lead. After Theodore pinch hit, the Flames went on a two-on-one and Coleman beat Hart’s blocking side.

However, Marner struck again, scoring his second of the night and 22nd of the season, with a neat passing sequence to Jack Eichel and Rasmus Andersen.

Before the second period ended, Coleman scored his second goal of the game for Calgary. But once again, the Golden Knights found a response. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his 35th goal of the season on the power play. He is now eighth, surpassing the franchise record of 43 set by William Carlson in 2017–18.

After two unexpected periods and long delays, the third belonged to the Golden Knights. Brett Howden gave the Golden Knights their first lead by scoring on a rush and beating Dustin Wolf.

Shortly after, Wolf misplayed the puck behind his own net and Ivan Barbashev took advantage to extend the lead to 5–3. Marner later sealed it, earning a hat trick and leading the Golden Knights over the Flames.

Head coach John Tortorella is now 2-0-0 with the Golden Knights and is looking to get the team back on track.

The Golden Knights will look to continue their winning ways against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night as they begin a four-game road trip.

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

Phoenix – The calendar has turned, and for the Vegas Golden Knights, April brings more questions than answers for a team that is usually ready to take the field for the postseason.

To get you back up to speed, the Golden Knights fired probably the top five coach in the NHL, Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella in his place while, at the time, were eight games away from the regular season finale.

The move came at a critical time in the season when the Golden Knights were in third place in the Pacific Division, but had only the 19th-best record in the NHL at 33–26–16.

What felt like certainty at this point last season has now turned into uncertainty for the Golden Knights – but according to their new bench boss, Tortorella, not much is expected to change.

“I don’t want to change too much,” Tortorella said. “My variation is points of emphasis and mentality. I just want to see a toughness. When you talk about toughness, it’s not body checking, it’s not fighting. It’s a general term, but there are a lot of headings underneath it, and it comes through in the mentality. That’s what I want to train.

In this business, whether you are a player or a coach, I think you have to have the ability to accept challenges. Last year I was released from Philly with nine games left. Now I come here with eight games left. It’s some crazy situations I’ve never been involved in before, but that’s the league. That’s pro sports.” (“John Tortorella joins Golden Knights, focuses on mentality: ‘I don’t want to change too much,’athletic 3/30/26).

Ready or not, April is here, bringing with it several games that will show how the Golden Knights and the Pacific Division shape up. With little difference in the standings, small changes can change things in the blink of an eye.

April comes with a lot of uncertainty in the Pacific

It’s no surprise that the Pacific Division remains one of the most unpredictable divisions in hockey. While the NHL standings take shape at the end of the season, the gap between teams in this division remains small enough that movement is still possible.

The difference is also very high compared to other divisions. The teams hanging around the playoff picture in the Pacific Region won’t be in the mix elsewhere, which for better or worse shows how bad the division has been this season.

Here’s how things are in the Pacific Division as of April 1:

The Canucks and New York Rangers are the only two teams that are officially out of the playoff race and are headed well into the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. The Flames are also out of the playoff picture.

Outside of those two teams, things could get interesting. The Kraken and Sharks are in a similar position, each making a final push for the playoffs. Both have 75 points and are within reach of the second wild-card spot, which is currently held by the Nashville Predators with 77.

Kings is also an interesting case. They acquired Russian winger Artemi Panarin from the Rangers on February 5 and signed him to a two-year extension worth $22 million ($11 million AVA) shortly after, but he has gone 5-7-5 since his first game with the team after the Olympic break.

Now, two teams ahead of the Golden Knights. The Oilers have been all over the place this season. The standings show they aren’t bad, but they also don’t look like the Oilers team we’ve seen in years past.

Connor McDavid is still acting like Connor McDavid with 125 points in 75 games, but without Leon Draisaitl, who is out with an injury, there are some doubts.

And then there are the ducks. Who would have called for the Ducks entering April atop the Pacific Division? Not me. The Ducks have sole possession of first place in the division – but in 17 days, who knows what that will look like.

Schedule breakdown of Pacific Division teams

With the current layout of the Pacific Division, here’s who each team will face in April – matchups that will ultimately determine the standings going forward.

Ducks: @Sharks, Blues, Flames, Predators, Sharks, Canucks, @Wild, @Predators

Oilers: Blackhawks, Golden Knights, @Mammoth, @Sharks, @Kings, @Avalanche, Canucks

Golden Knight: Flames, @Oilers, @Canucks, @Kraken, @Avalanche, Jets, Kraken

King: Blues, Predators, Maple Leafs, Predators, Canucks, Oilers, @Kraken, @Canucks, @Flames

Shark: Ducks, Maple Leafs, Predators, Blackhawks, Oilers, @Ducks, Canucks, @Predators, @Blackhawks, @Jets

Kraken: Mammoth, Blackhawks, @Jets, @Wild, Golden Knights, Flames, Kings, @GoldenKnights, @Avalanche

Flames: @GoldenKnights, @Ducks, @Stars, @Avalanche, @Kraken, Mammoth, Avalanche, Kings

Canucks: @Avalanche, @Wild, Mammoth, Golden Knights, @Kings, @Sharks, @Ducks, @Kings, @Oilers

The gap between top and middle is slim and with many teams gathering within reach of each other, it will come down to the final stage.

It will also depend on whether the Golden Knights can answer the bell. While not much will — or should — change with Tortorella behind the bench, we’ll see if the spark that general manager Kelly McCrimmon talked about actually shows up in April.

“John has tremendous passion and tremendous energy,” McCrimmon said. “He’s a great communicator. He’s very well-respected in the industry, experienced, comfortable with himself. I think he’s going to give our team a spark. I think so.”

Cooper Krigbaum is a beat reporter covering the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNut. He also told about Cooper Krigbaum

华盛顿首都队 (37-28-9) 以令人兴奋的高调结束了他们的三场客场之旅。尽管这并不容易，但他们在周六晚上的点球大战中以 5-4 战胜了维加斯金骑士队 (32-26-16)。

首都队开局强劲，亨德里克斯·拉皮埃尔在第一节首开纪录。随后，贾斯汀·索尔迪夫和安东尼·博维利耶分别进球，球队在中场以 3-0 领先。

然而，在同一时期，首都队继续强势，放弃了维加斯的背靠背人手不足的进球。金骑士队的势头很快就转向了，第三节一开始他们就以4-3领先。

幸运的是，迪伦·斯特罗姆 (Dylan Strome) 成为了周六晚上的英雄，他将比分追成 4-4 平。随后，他在技能比赛中赢得了比赛的胜利。

至此，首都队本赛季与西部对手的比赛正式结束。接下来，球队将在周二晚上返回主场迎战分区对手费城队。

资本分析

比赛一开始，伊万·米罗什尼琴科和布兰登·杜海姆帮助恢复掉球，并将冰球传给拉皮埃尔。拉皮埃尔随后突破得分，首都队以 1-0 领先，他和米罗什尼琴科现在在背靠背比赛中得分。

随后，阿利亚克塞·普罗塔斯和前队友尼克·多德都去扑球，但头朝下相撞。两人都因明显的疼痛而倒地，普罗塔斯整个晚上都被排除在外。

第二节开始时，贾斯汀·索尔迪夫在与康纳·麦克迈克尔的互攻中攻入一记强力进球。随后，瑞恩·伦纳德 (Ryan Leonard) 的射门被博维利埃 (Beauvillier) 改道，越过了阿丁·希尔 (Adin Hill)，球队以 3-0 领先。

然而，首都队的下一个强力发挥机会是在事情开始崩溃的时候。球队本月第二次在人手不足的情况下连续丢球。

首先，汤姆·威尔逊在防守区内的失误导致多德接球并在洛根·汤普森身上得分。这是多德自 2026 年 NHL 交易截止日被交易到维加斯以来的第一个进球。

几秒钟后，拉斯穆斯·安德森（Rasmus Andersson）在领先优势下冲入进攻区域，然后击败科尔·哈特森（Cole Hutson）并击败汤普森（Thompson）。结果，维加斯将比分差距缩小到3-2。

还在中场时，杰克·艾切尔 (Jack Eichel) 射门将比分扳成 3-3，并将势头转向对维加斯有利。随后，第三节开场，米奇·马纳 (Mitch Marner) 大力得分，金骑士队以 4-3 领先。

然而，华盛顿并没有放弃，斯特罗姆在罚球区犯下双小罚球后成功晋级。

首都队又打了一场强攻，斯特罗姆接哈特森的投篮命中一记绝杀，将比分追成4-4。这位29岁的球员被迫加时赛，结束了17场比赛的进球荒。

3对3加时赛中没有得分，比赛进入点球大战。斯特罗姆最终打进了唯一的进球，而汤普森则阻止了全部三脚射门。

首都成绩单

团队：B+

首都队开局强劲，随后让维加斯队一路逆转。幸运的是，他们反弹并真正赢得了一次点球大战的胜利。

迪伦·斯特罗姆：A

斯特罗姆是首都队需要的英雄，他结束了 17 场比赛的进球荒。这位29岁的球员在第三局打进了扳平比分的进球，并在点球大战中赢得了比赛的胜利。

首都权力游戏：C+

首都队可能已经打进了两个强力进球。然而，这是本月球队第二次在一人优势的情况下连续两场人手不足。

伊万·米罗什尼琴科：A

米罗什尼琴科继续发挥作用，顶替埃森·弗兰克。他对拉皮埃尔进球的二次助攻让他在背靠背的比赛中得分。

科尔·哈特森：A

赫特森以两次助攻结束了当晚的比赛，帮助苏迪夫和斯特罗姆打出了强力进攻。这是这位新秀职业生涯的第一场多点比赛。

哈里·利奇曼 (Harry Lichtman) 是一位屡获殊荣的记者，为《Sportsnaut》报道华盛顿首都队。他还为网站做出贡献…更多关于 Harry Lichtman

The Washington Capitals ((37-28-9) finished their three-game road trip in thrilling fashion. Although it was not easy, they managed to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights (32-26-16) 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday night.

The Capitals started off strong with Hendricks Lapierre opening the scoring in the first period. The team then took a 3–0 lead in the middle frame with goals from Justin Sourdiff and Anthony Beauvillier.

However, in the same period, the Capitals continued to play on the power play and gave up back-to-back shorthanded goals to Vegas. The momentum soon shifted to the Golden Knights as they took a 4–3 lead early in the third.

Luckily, Dylan Strome proved to be the hero on Saturday night, as he tied the game at 4-4. After this he became the game-winner in the skills competition.

With that, the Capitals are officially done with their Western Conference opponents this season. Next, the team will return home to face division rival Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

capitals analysis

Early in the game, Ivan Miroshnichenko and Brandon Duhaime recovered a fumble and gave Lapierre a puck. Lapierre then scored on a breakaway to give the Capitals a 1–0 lead, as he and Miroshnichenko now have points in consecutive games.

Later in the period, Aliaksi Protas and former teammate Nick Dowd both went for the puck but collided with each other. Both were suffering obvious pain, and Protas was knocked out for the entire night.

To start the second period, Justin Sourdiff connected with Connor McMichael on a power-play goal. Then, Ryan Leonard’s shot was redirected by Beauvillier past Adin Hill for a 3–0 lead.

However, the Capitals’ next power-play opportunity is when things started to fall apart. The team gave up shorthanded goals for the second consecutive time this month.

First, an error by Tom Wilson in the defensive zone led to Dowd getting the puck and scoring on Logan Thompson. It was Dowd’s first goal since being dealt to Vegas at the 2026 NHL trade deadline.

A few seconds later, on the man advantage, Rasmus Andersson drove into the offensive zone before decking Cole Hutson and beating Thompson. As a result, Vegas cut the deficit to 3-2.

Still in the middle frame, Jack Eichel fired into the net to tie it 3–3 and swing the momentum in Vegas’ favor. Then, to start the third, Mitch Marner scored on the power play to give the Golden Knights a 4–3 lead.

However, Washington did not give up as Strome came in after being in the penalty box for a double minor.

The Capitals started another power play and Strome drained a one-timer off a Hutson feed to tie the score at 4-4. The 29-year-old forced overtime to end his 17-game goal drought.

There was no scoring in 3-on-3 OT, as the game headed to a shootout. Strome recorded the only goal, while Thompson stopped all three shots.

capitals report card

Team: B+

The Capitals started strong, then let Vegas trail all the way. Fortunately, they counterattacked and actually won a shootout once.

Dylan Strome: A

Strome was the hero the Capitals needed as they ended their 17-game goal drought. The 29-year-old equalized in the third game and scored the game winner in the shootout.

Capitals Power Play: C+

The Capitals might have scored two goals in the power play. However, this is the second time this month the team has given up back-to-back shorthanded tallies in a one-man advantage.

Ivan Miroshnichenko: A

Miroshnichenko continues to make a difference in replacing Ethan Frank. His secondary assist on Lapierre’s goal gave him points in consecutive games.

Cole Hutson: A

Hutson finished the night with two assists, helping both Sourdiff and Strome on the power play. This is the first multi-point game of the rookie’s career.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

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.

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

After losing six of their last seven games, the Vegas Golden Knights were in desperate need of a win. Pacific Division aside, the losing streak was doing nothing for morale. Thus, Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins was exactly what the doctor ordered.

As has been the case in the past few games, the Golden Knights started strong. In the first period, they created 13 scoring chances while limiting the Penguins to six.

The Golden Knights broke the ice first at 8:41. Brett Howden forced Parker Wotherspoon into a turnover, and Colton Sissons tipped the puck over to Brayden Bowman. Bowman caught the puck, danced around Wotherspoon, and found Sissons for a back-door tap-in.

“Once we get that first [goal]That was big,” Brayden Bowman said after the game.

The Golden Knights doubled their lead just 5:02 into the second period. Pavel Dorofeyev drove the puck deep into the zone, and Tomas Hertl kept the game alive in the back of the net. Brayden Bowman blocked Pittsburgh’s first clearing attempt, and Cayden Korczak blocked the second. Korczak found Dorofeyev on the goal line, and Dorofeyev beat Artur Silovs off the gloves.

Trailing 2–0, the Penguins began to apply pressure; He came on the board at 8:26 of the second minute. Rickard Rakell got the spot over Braden McNabb; Bryan Rust received a pass for a back-door tap-in.

In recent games, the Golden Knights have struggled to stop the bleeding. They had no such problems on Thursday and responded with an own goal just 54 seconds after Raquel tallied.

The Golden Knights restored their two-goal lead at 9:20 of the second game. Mitch Marner intercepted Connor Dewar’s passing attempt, entered the zone, and executed a turnover with Pavel Dorofeyev. He received the puck above the goal crease, waited for Arturs Silovs to be out and fired it home in midair.

“He had a bit of a shock there [in the second period]Brayden Bowman said. I thought we responded well. They score, and then guys go out there and get it right back. This is a huge thing for the morale on the bench. I mean, we were up.

The Penguins cut the Golden Knights’ lead to one at 16:22 of the second minute. Ryan Shea sent a stretch-pass up the ice to Anthony Mantha, who was moving into the Vegas zone. Mantha protected the puck, deflected off Brayden Bowman and found Ben Kindel for a back-door tap-in.

The strong third period has defined the 2026 Golden Knights; Thursday was no different. Despite falling behind 11-6, they did not allow any more goals. The Golden Knights remained strong defensively and controlled 74.43% of the expected goal share.

The Golden Knights once again took a two-goal lead just 4:35 into the third minute. After a Penguins foul, Pavel Dorofeyev fouled Ville Kauvinen with the puck. Dorofeyev passed it to Mitch Marner who entered the zone. Marner returned to Dorofeyev trailing in the slot, and the winger got home his second of the night.

The Golden Knights added insult to injury at 6:20 of the third minute. Shea Theodore sent a stretch pass to Ivan Barbashev at center ice. Barbashev entered the Penguins zone, cut to the middle of the ice, and passed the puck to Jack Eichel; Eichel stepped into the slot and beat Arturs Silovs.

Despite trailing by three goals, the Penguins pulled Arturs Silovs for an extra attacker with 7:39 remaining in regulation. The Golden Knights held them to five shots on goal and Adin Hill turned them away.

Hill finished the night with 24 saves on 26 shots, a .923 save percentage and a 2.53 GSAX.

After several attempts – including Adin Hill’s bid on goal by the goalkeeper – Brayden McNabb hit the empty net with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

Captain Mark Stone returned to the lineup after missing the previous six games due to an upper body injury.

It is no coincidence that, in their first game, the players attributed their strong performance during the 6–2 victory to the energy on the bench.

The players credited the energy on the bench for their strong performance during the 6–2 win.

“We had some good energy tonight,” Braden Bowman said after the game. “I think that’s important when we’re playing our best. We’ve got good energy on the bench, and I think that carries over onto the ice.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘frustration’ as a feeling of being upset or angry, especially because of an inability to change or achieve something. Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy prefers not to use that particular term, but it certainly described the team’s 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

“I’m not disappointed. I mean, you get what you deserve, right?” Cassidy expressed his condolences after the team’s 4–2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. “It’s not frustration, it’s just not smart. Smart hockey for a veteran.” [team]We will be on our toes.

Despite the playoff implications amid the battle for the Pacific Division, neither team started the game with much excitement. Despite the early penalty kill, the Oilers caught up with Vegas early. Edmonton had the first four shots on goal; It took about 10 minutes for the Golden Knights to record their first.

“We didn’t get the start we wanted,” Cassidy said after the game. “Got some big saves from Aiden Hill. We needed them because we weren’t good in the first 10 minutes.”

The intensity increased in the second period. The Golden Knights allowed four high-danger chances, but otherwise largely controlled the game. They defeated the Oilers 11–4 and created 17 scoring chances.

The Oilers broke the ice just 3:21 into the second period. Evan Bouchard danced around Brandon Saad, rolled to the right, drove down to the right circle, and fired a shot on net. Adin Hill made the save, but Bouchard chased the puck and delivered a centering pass to Trent Frederick. Hill made two saves, but Frederick eventually succeeded on the third attempt.

The Golden Knights scored the equalizer at 13:09 of the second minute. Mitch Marner won a board battle and handed it back to Noah Hanifin, who was fresh off the bench. Hanifin drove to the line and fired a wrist shot that deflected in front of the net and beat Connor Ingram from distance.

In an uncharacteristic turn of events, the Golden Knights were outclassed in the third period. Shots were tied at eight each, but the Oilers created 12 scoring chances and held Vegas to five. The Golden Knights controlled only 20.16% of the expected goal share, and as Bruce Cassidy said, they got what they deserved.

The Oilers regained the lead just 2:34 into the third minute. Tomas Hertl won an offensive zone draw, but Vasily Podkolzin beat a flat-footed Jeremy Lauzon to the puck. Podkolzin raced up the ice, split the defense, left Lauzon and Rasmus Andersson in the dust, and passed Edin Hill. Podkolzin broke the net and scored with hard work.

The Oilers doubled their lead at 11:53 of the third. Rasmus Andersson broke his stick attempting to clear and was forced to drop it and make an empty-handed save. The Golden Knights regained control of the puck, but Anderson’s broken stick blocked Jack Eichel’s clearing attempt. Connor McDavid controlled the puck and found Leon Draisaitl down low for a five-hole backhander.

Shea Theodore took a high-sticking penalty with 4:47 remaining in regulation. But as soon as all hope was gone, Jack Eichel left the team behind.

The Golden Knights got within one while shorthanded at 16:43 of the third period. Jack Eichel drove deep into the zone, pulled up, and Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl were double-teamed. Mitch Marner retrieved the puck and found Eichel all alone at the right point; Eichel drove it out of the house.

Trailing by only one, the Golden Knights pulled Adin Hill for an extra attacker with 3:30 remaining in regulation. They couldn’t even get a shot on goal and the Oilers scored a dagger at 18:03 of the third. Connor McDavid won a footrace for the puck and set up Kasperi Kapanen for an empty-netter.

“At the end of the day, 6-on-5, like a small part of our game, doesn’t have enough urgency, right?” Cassidy expressed his condolences. “There’s a 50-50 puck. I know McDavid is one of the fastest guys in the world, but we have a chance to at least tie it until we get help, or allow him to go out of the zone… We didn’t win that race.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

What do the Vegas Golden Knights have in common with someone who takes blood thinners? Once bleeding starts it may be difficult to stop.

All season long, the Golden Knights have suffered from an uncharacteristic problem: they tend to spiral after allowing a goal. That’s exactly what happened when they hosted the Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena on Friday. The Wild scored three quick goals in the second period, which proved too much for the Golden Knights to overcome in the 4–2 loss.

The first round was equal. The Golden Knights got off to a good start, shutting down the Minnesota power play and defeating the Wild 8–6. Colton Sissons got two breakaway chances, but Phillip Gustavsson shut the door both times.

Except for a three-minute gap early in the second period, the Golden Knights were the better team. They outshot the Wild 10-7 and created five high-danger scoring chances while allowing only one.

The problem is that during that 3:07 exception, Minnesota scored three times.

The Wild broke the ice at 5:18 of the second period. Noah Hanifin couldn’t connect with Mitch Marner on a no-look backhander, and Matt Zuccarello raced to the loose puck. Zuccarello slipped between Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson, drove in alone, and completed the breakaway.

The Wild doubled their lead at 8:25 of the second minute. Yakov Trenin had the puck behind the goal and found Daniil Yurov for a one-timer. Akira Schmid made the save, but the rebound went to Zack Bogosian above the right circle and the defenseman deflected the shot past the Rockets.

Just 18 seconds later, the Wild added to their lead. Brock Faber hit a shot from the point and Michael McCarron redirected it home.

After McCarron’s goal, the Golden Knights finally managed to stop the bleeding and not dig their hole any deeper. They renewed their attack, but Filip Gustavsson was exceptional.

As has often been the case this season, the Golden Knights ultimately finished in third place. Pavel Dorofeyev scored a penalty just 1:22 into the period, giving his team its first power play of the night.

The Golden Knights scored their third goal at 2:17, less than a minute into the power play. Jack Eichel delivered a pass through the middle and Pavel Dorofeyev found the winger’s 30th goal of the season.

Solving Filip Gustavsson did wonders for the team’s confidence and the Golden Knights continued their attack. He recorded 14 shots and created 13 scoring chances in the third period; However, their desperate offense resulted in the Wild having 10 scoring chances.

The Wild took advantage of one of those scoring opportunities and restored their two-goal lead at 15:42 of the third. Michael McCarron passed the puck out to Vladimir Tarasenko, who raced up the ice on a 3-on-1 with Yakov Trenin and Jared Spurgeon. Tarasenko entered the field, played catch with Spurgeon and fired a shot that went past Akira Schmidt short-side.

The Golden Knights refused to go quietly and responded with 3:05 remaining in regulation. Tomas Hertl pressured Kirill Kaprizov under the goal line and forced a turnover. Pavel Dorofeyev sent a centering pass to Mitch Marner, who redirected it to Filip Gustavsson.

Despite pulling Akira Schmid for an extra attacker, the Golden Knights failed to generate the expected looks and lost 4–2.

“It’s pretty much the same,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after the team’s loss. “We fall behind. Our stretch is very bad, and one becomes two and becomes three… It should be better now, with a more experienced group.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

The Washington Capitals traded veteran forward Nick Dowd to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

In return, the Capitals acquired prospect goaltender Jesper Wickman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.

“Really tough day for our organization, our team, players, staff. Nick Dowd is being traded after seven years,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry told reporters. “He means a lot to this team. He means a lot to this community, to him and his family. He will be missed. It’s one of the unfortunate parts of this business, having to say goodbye to good people.”

Dowd, 35, recorded 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) in 55 games with the Capitals this season. The fan favorite finished his tenure in Washington with 166 points (79 goals, 87 assists) in 506 games from 2018–19.

During his tenure in DC, Dowd was a staple on the Capitals’ fourth line and penalty kill unit. The 35-year-old posted a career-best 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) last season.

Dowd was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round (198th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft. The forward also spent half a year in Vancouver before signing with the Capitals in the 2018 offseason. At that time the team had won the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, Wickman was selected by Vegas in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old goaltender has spent the entire 2025-26 campaign with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.

In 18 games this season, Wickman has a record of 8-7-3, a 3.41 goals-against average and an .866 save percentage for the Silver Knights.

Right now, the Capitals (31-25-7) are four points behind Boston for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot. The two teams will face off on Saturday afternoon, a day after the trade deadline.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

The Vegas Golden Knights have a problem: They don’t play a full 60 minutes.

Throughout the season, they have struggled to get off to timely starts and only find their game when falling behind by several goals. However, they have managed to score points from most of those attempts. In the 62 games played this season, the Golden Knights have entered the third period trailing by at least one goal in exactly half of them. His record in those 31 games is 6-16-9.

These Golden Knights are nothing if not determined. This cardiac-return method is not a recipe for success; However, it is thoroughly entertaining.

History repeated itself on Wednesday when the Golden Knights played the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. They scored the first goal, but entered the second round trailing by two goals. After an ineffective second period, they were able to tie the game in the third period. And in overtime, Tomas Hertl scored on the power play to complete the comeback, snapping a three-game losing streak, and giving his team a 4–3 victory.

For the first time in three games, the Golden Knights scored first Wednesday, striking just 1:50 after puck drop. Pavel Dorofeyev forced a turnover behind the Red Wings’ net, and Mitch Marner found Reilly Smith in the left circle for a short-side snipe.

His strong start could not last long. The Golden Knights did not manage another shot on goal for the next 8:24 of the game, and recorded only seven shots in the first period. The Red Wings tested Adin Hill 11 times and created seven scoring chances.

The Red Wings got the equalizing goal at 5:58 of the first period. Tomas Hertl lost his defensive assignment, and Emmitt Feeney fired a shot from just above the right circle. Marco Casper provided the screen, and Feeney’s shot sailed home.

The Red Wings took the lead 15:15 of the first. Brayden Bowman picked off Andrew Copp’s pocket to deny him a chance to score, but Simon Edvinsson became active from the point and got to the puck first. Edwinsson stepped into the spot unopposed and defeated Adin Hill with a sneaky wristlock.

The Red Wings increased their lead just 59 seconds later. The Golden Knights tried to break the puck, but Axel Sandin-Pellica forced a turnover at center ice. Lucas Raymond took it the other way, drove into the zone, and found Alex DeBrincat all alone in the high slot. DeBrincat fired a shot from distance that hit Adin Hill at wide receiver.

The Golden Knights fared better in the second period – but not by much. They missed their power play opportunities, but killed the two minor penalties they took. Despite spending a good portion of the period on the penalty kill, they managed to defeat the Red Wings 8–6.

If you looked at the box score, you would assume that the Golden Knights were dominant in the third period; You would be wrong. They defeated the Red Wings 8–7, but gave up 12 scoring chances and left Adin Hill out to dry on multiple occasions. However, Hill was up to the task and made one big save after another.

The Golden Knights got within one at 11:37 of the third. Rasmus Andersson tipped Noah Hanifin’s blast from the point, and the puck found Ivan Barbashev next to the crease. Barbashev scored his second goal in a row and his seventh in ten games.

Barbashev’s goal gave the Golden Knights some life and they finally started applying offensive pressure. They equalized with 3:24 remaining in regulation.

Mitch Marner forced a turnover, and Tomas Hertl got the loose puck first down. Hertl worked hard for Shea Theodore, who fired a wrist shot. Simon Edvinsson blocked Theodore’s shot; Hertl moved the puck behind the net and delivered a centering pass to Marner across the crease. Hertl’s pass was found and Marner shot over Cam Talbot.

In overtime, the Golden Knights were unquestionably the better team. They created three high-danger scoring chances, one of which led to a penalty for Noah Hanifin.

The Golden Knights completed the comeback just 19 seconds into the ensuing power play. Mitch Marner found Tomas Hertl next to the crease and Hertl headed in to give his team a 4–3 victory.

This Golden Knights team is far from perfect. They are inconsistent, their defensive positioning is prone to be poor, and they struggle to score in a way that such a talented team shouldn’t. And yet, despite all their shortcomings, they have a 29-19-14 record and lead the Pacific Division with 72 points.

Just imagine where they could end up if they could reach their full potential.

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

The 2026 NHL trade deadline is just days away, but the Vegas Golden Knights see no reason to wait. On Tuesday, they acquired veteran center Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defensive prospect Christopher Seidoff and a 2028 third-round pick.

The trade occurred just hours after a 3–2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Cole Smith, a 30-year-old, 6’3″ winger, is known for his patience. In 270 games with the Predators, he has had 223 PIMs and dropped the gloves 10 times. He also scored 23 goals and recorded 62 points.

Smith was second on the team in hits this season with 119 in 59 games played. He makes just $1 million per year and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

24-year-old defenseman Christopher Seidoff signed with the Golden Knights organization in March 2023. He played 145 games with the Henderson Silver Knights, scoring 4 goals and recording 28 points.

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

The 2025-26 Vegas Golden Knights have been remarkably consistent. Unfortunately, they are consistent in all the wrong ways – they have a tendency to start playing well only after falling behind by two or more goals. They have managed to save points from many of those attempts, but that is hardly a recipe for success.

It happened again Tuesday when the Golden Knights faced the Buffalo Sabers at KeyBank Center. The Sabers took a 3-0 lead early in the second period before the Golden Knights responded. He performed exceptionally well in just under 35 minutes of play, but it was not enough and the Sabers won 3–2.

“It’s very tough to be down by that many goals and come back to win the game,” Colton Sissons said after the game. “We’re constantly looking for ways to make it interesting, but now it’s too late.”

The Sabers opened the scoring just 4:02 into the first period. Ryan McLeod tried to find Jack Quinn for a back-door tap-in, but his pass went off the skate of Jack Eichel. The puck bounced straight to Jason Zucker at the goal line, and the Las Vegas native tapped it home.

The Sabers doubled their lead just 46 seconds into the second period. Noah Ostlund won in the offensive zone in front of Owen Power, who walked to the line and fired a shot on goal from distance. Rasmus Andersson partially screened Akira Schmidt, and Power’s shot went off Andersson’s glove and into the net.

The Sabers extended their lead at 5:44 of the second minute. Alex Tuch flew into the offensive zone and threw a pass to Taj Thompson. Thompson stepped into the right circle and beat Akira Schmidt with a wrist shot from distance.

That’s when everything changed, and the Golden Knights responded just 1:06 later. Jack Eichel set up Shea Theodore for a one-timer, but the shot went wide. Alex Lyon denied Ivan Barbashev’s pass attempt, so Barbashev buried it home on a wraparound.

At 8:27 in the second minute, the Golden Knights tied it at one goal. Reilly Smith forced a turnover and knocked the puck out of the zone, and Pavel Dorofeyev advanced to first. Dorofeyev raced up the ice, protected the puck and beat Alex Lyon for the five-hole.

Despite trailing by only one goal, the Golden Knights struggled to generate offense in the third period. He failed to move forward this time and looked disinterested while doing so. Apart from hitting a few crossbars, they managed only six shots on goal in the final frame and lost 3–2.

Three Golden Night Takeaway

1. Credit is due: Alex Lyon played very well in net for the Sabers tonight. He saved 27 of 29 shots and finished the night with a .931 SV% and 1.85 GSAX. That being said, the Golden Knights didn’t do enough to make life difficult for him. He challenged them only six times in the third period. This is often not going to result in a win – especially when they are trying to make a comeback.

2. The Golden Knights are faltering; With a 3-6-2 record in their last 11 games, they are in serious danger of losing control of the Pacific Division. Of course, their biggest issue is their slow start. Sure, they made it competitive tonight. Big noise. Moral victory means little early on, and even less at this time of year when points are at a premium.

Chasing leads is exhausting, and the Golden Knights have made a habit of it. In 61 games played, he has spent 1502:48 of time at the back, fourth most in the league. The fact that they are still leading the Pacific Division says more about the state of the division than the quality of their play.

“We’ve been down this road before,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after the 3-2 loss. “We get held back, kind of punched in the face. Then we get on our game — we’re talking about trying to get there before that happens, a lot.”

3. The hockey gods have not smiled on the Golden Knights goaltenders this season. Their team’s Goals Against Above Expected is 25.42 – second worst in the entire league. But tonight, goaltending was the least of his concerns.

Tonight, their biggest problem was that they couldn’t score three goals. Following the loss, head coach Bruce Cassidy dismissed the team for poor performance offensively.

“[Goaltending] Bruce Cassidy said after the game, “We’ve had a couple of nights where we needed extra saves. Tonight, we needed another goal… I think there are some guys at the bottom of the lineup who usually score more, and that hasn’t happened yet. Losing by one goal like that.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

It’s one thing to lose a game; It’s an absolute disaster to lose to a team that is so inferior on paper. The Vegas Golden Knights did just that in a 5-0 loss to the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.

And to make matters worse, they lost their captain in the process.

In the first round, there was no sign of the coming blow. The Golden Knights got off to a timely start, recording the first four shots on goal and dictating the game in the first five minutes of the game. And then, the Penguins found their footing and essentially forced the Golden Knights into submission.

The Penguins broke the ice first at 14:56. Anthony Mantha won the board battle against Keegan Kolesar, and Ben Kindel controlled the puck and drove into the zone. Kindall cut to the middle of the ice, stepped into the slot, and ripped a sneaky wrister through to Rasmus Andersen that beat Adin Hill on the blocker.

Despite trailing by just one goal, the Golden Knights entered the first intermission with a storm cloud hanging over their heads. At the end of the period, Mark Stone took a cross-check from Kris Letang and immediately went down the tunnel. Stone did not return to start the second period and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The Penguins doubled their lead as their power play ended 5:47 into the second period. Justin Brazeau found Egor Chinakhov all alone in the right circle, and the winger fired a shot past Adin Hill short-side.

At 9:34 of the second game the Penguins struck again on the power play. Jeremy Lauzon knocked down Erik Karlsson’s shot from the point, but he couldn’t stop Bryan Rust from banging in the rebound.

The Penguins increased their lead on the power play at 15:06 of the second minute. Erik Karlsson single-handedly hit Ricard Raquel in front of the net and Raquel buried his own counterattack.

This season, the Golden Knights have been known for their dramatic comebacks. That was not the case today. They created nine high-danger scoring chances in the third period, but could not beat Arturs Silovs.

The Penguins added insult to injury at 14:59 of the third period. Kris Letang stripped Jack Eichel of the puck and found Ben Kindel on a fly through the neutral zone. Kindle entered the zone and released the puck to Justin Brazeau, who fired a shot past Adin Hill.

Arturs Silovs secured the shutout for the Penguins and the Golden Knights lost 5–0.

After Sunday’s regulation loss, the Golden Knights still lead the Pacific Division with 70 points and a 28-18-14 record. The Anaheim Ducks are on top with 67 points, and have two games in hand.

However, the division standings are far from the Golden Knights’ biggest concern right now. Instead, that honor goes to Mark Stone’s injury situation. Despite already missing 17 games this season, Stone is second on the team in scoring with 21 goals and 60 points in 43 games.

The Golden Knights live and die by their captain. He’s not just a dominant player – he’s the emotional leader in the locker room. If he misses any time, the Golden Knights will feel that loss deeply.

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

After a convincing win without their five best offensive players on Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights should have been boosted by their return. Instead, they came out flat on Friday and fell behind by three in the second period. Ultimately, despite a comeback bid they lost 3–2 to the Washington Capitals.

The cracks began to appear early in the first period when the Capitals had six of their first seven shots on goal. From there, things didn’t get better for the Golden Knights.

Akira Schmid played well, made big saves when called upon and finished the night with a .25 GSAX. However, he could not compensate for the Golden Knights’ lapses on defense and in the neutral zone.

The Capitals broke the ice and finally solved Schmid 49 seconds into the second period. The Golden Knights allowed him a clean pass through the neutral zone and passed a clean pass to Rasmus Sandin. Sandin found Aliaksi Protas in the slot; Protas set up Pierre-Luc Dubois, who picked out his corner.

The Capitals struck again just 2:34 later. Under pressure from Tom Wilson, Rasmus Andersson passed the puck to Aleksi Protas behind the net. Protas backhanded it into the slot and Pierre-Luc Dubois hit his second of the night.

The Capitals increased their lead at 14:52 of the second minute. They came in waves from the circle, and Rasmus Sandin set up Jakub Chykrun for a one-timer from the right circle.

In the third period, the Golden Knights finally came alive. They outshot the Capitals 13-8 and controlled 67.1% of the expected goal share.

Their work paid off and the Golden Knights got on the board just 2:27 minutes into the third period. Kaidan Korczak sent a stretch-pass to Brayden Bowman, and the puck bounced off his stick in the offensive zone. Bowman raced after it, charged forward all alone and beat blocker-side Logan Thompson.

The Golden Knights tied it with a goal on the power play at 9:15 of the third game. Pavel Dorofeyev focused on Tomas Hertl and Hertl scored his 600th career point.

One by one, the Golden Knights applied pressure; However, a late penalty by Mark Stone halted their momentum. He knocked it down and pulled on Akira Schmidt for an extra attacker, but could not score the equaliser.

“We weren’t ready to play,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy after the 3–2 loss. “The coach has to prepare the team… but in this one, the players were not ready to play. They are professionals; they have to be ready to go. We were not good enough.

“We got through the first period, so you think it will be better in the second period,” Cassidy added. “But it got worse throughout that period. We’ll always respond, and we did again tonight… When we play 20 minutes, we almost win hockey games; imagine when we play 40 or 45.”

Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore, and Noah Hanifin returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles. Eichel, Stone and Marner each recorded only one shot on goal.

“These are high-class players who have to be ready to play,” Cassidy lamented. “Toews and Makar played back-to-backs; McDavid, Matthews and Jack Hughes also… We gave our guys a few days off — intentionally scripted it — and got through it in L.A. and played well.

“He was quite relieved, to be honest,” Cassidy said. “They’ll be better on Sunday. They’re our best players. They’re our leaders, and we expect them to play like that.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

On Saturday night, WWE makes its final stop on the road to WrestleMania 42 with the 2026 edition of Elimination Chamber. This year’s event, of course, includes men’s and women’s Chamber matches to pit opponents for WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill at April’s mega-event.

However, Becky Lynch will also put her Intercontinental belt on the line against her arch rival AJ Lee and CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Title against Finn Balor. There will definitely be a surprise or two in the company’s latest premium live event. With that in mind, we offer five predictions for potential surprises in the Elimination Chamber.

Dominic Mysterio defeated Finn Balor and CM Punk

Trouble has been going on inside Judgment Day for months. However, despite the ups and downs and injuries the group has remained united. However, it looks like a break is on the way and it is likely that Baylor will be out.

He is certain to lose his title rematch with Punk on Saturday. But will he lose clean for the second time in a row? It wouldn’t do the Irishman any favors if the company wanted to change his status and set up a special match at WrestleMania. Don’t be surprised if it costs his brother, Dom Mysterio, their match this weekend at Judgment Day, and it may not be due to an “accident.”

Raquel Rodriguez won the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Talking about Judgment Day, the bond between Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez was broken at the Royal Rumble when Liv Morgan eliminated the latter. Hopefully WWE will delve deeper into those issues and create a big controversy at Judgment Day on the road to WrestleMania.

Rodriguez is not a favorite to win the Women’s Chamber match on Saturday. But if he did, it would be interesting to have two members of the faction competing for championship gold at ‘Mania. Especially if one wins and the other doesn’t. Furthermore, Rodriguez deserves a major match at this event after some very good work over the past six months

LA Knight won the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match

Heading into Elimination Chamber 2026, reports suggest that Cody Rhodes will win the Men’s Chamber match. However, WWE fans don’t seem thrilled with the months-long feud between Rhodes and McIntyre continuing into April. And lower-than-expected ticket sales for WrestleMania may confirm that opinion. This match needs an unexpected winner.

This is why WWE could go in a completely unexpected direction and make fans happy by giving LA Knight a win in the Men’s Chamber match. This would add new excitement to ‘Mania and give Knight the push many fans have been wanting for the last year. It also allows the company to take Rhodes on unexpected paths to events.

Danhausen is Inside the Elimination Chamber Mystery Box

An outside-the-ring incident at Elimination Chamber reveals what is in the mystery box that cannot be opened until Saturday night. There has been much speculation about what or who might be inside, including a returning Chris Jericho.

However, reports claiming that “Y2J” is still under AEW contract make this unlikely. That’s why a different AEW alum may emerge, and that would be the very good and very bad guy known as Danhausen. Given that something has been inside the box for two weeks, it makes more sense for it to have a strange supernatural character. Not a living, breathing person.

AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title

Since AJ Lee has been getting the better of Becky Lynch in their months-long rivalry, most expect the champion to successfully defend her title on Saturday night. However, we think the company is going in a different direction.

With Elimination Chamber taking place in Lee’s hometown of Chicago, it is more likely that he will get the win. A rematch would then be arranged at WrestleMania, where Lynch would seek revenge in the final match of their feud.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

When the Vegas Golden Knights took on the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night, they did so without five key regular players – Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore. If you think this would be a recipe for disaster, you would be partially right.

“[We knew] “We needed everybody to step up and play a good, hard game,” Colton Sissons said after the 6–4 win.

And that’s exactly what happened.

The Golden Knights entered the third period trailing the Kings 2–1, but scored three goals in 4:14. Despite missing the salary cap total of $46,275,000, the Golden Knights managed to hold off a defensively strong division rival by six.

What changed in the third period?

“I’m not quite sure,” Sissons admitted after the game. “We obviously made some attacks, and we were able to capitalize on our opportunities… Things can change quickly in this game, especially after such a long hiatus.”

The Golden Knights broke the ice at 10:59 of the first period. Reilly Smith made a great play on a 2-on-1 with Tanner Lazinski and Pavel Dorofeyev near the wall. Lazinski’s shot went wide, but the puck took an awkward jump off the end board and Dorofeyev slammed it home.

The Kings responded on the first power play at 14:31. Artemi Panarin sent a centering pass to Quinton Byfield in the slot, who put it past Adin Hill.

The Kings took the lead at 14:44 of the second period. Kaidan Korczak turned the puck over after driving into the offensive zone, and Adrian Kempe tipped it to Artemi Panarin the other way. Panarin received a cross-ice pass past Anze Kopitar; Kopitar sent a touch-pass to running back Kempe, who finished the game.

In the third period, everything changed. Both teams got their looks, but the Golden Knights converted more of them.

The Golden Knights tied it at 8:07 of the third period. Adin Hill sent a stretch pass to Brayden Bowman, who made a play along the wall to get the puck to Colton Sissons. Sissons entered the field, played catch with Bowman and dodged Anton Forsberg.

The Golden Knights took the lead at 11:16 of the third minute. Colton Sissons drove into the zone, but was pushed off the puck by Joel Armia. Brandon Saad reached him first, turned back and fired a shot. Mikey Anderson got in the way, but Saad blocked the rebound and beat Anton Forsberg from distance.

Just 1:05 later, the Golden Knights doubled their lead. Reilly Smith went coast-to-coast; After moving into the offensive zone, he dodged Brandt Clark and Joel Edmundson, protected the puck and covered the backhand.

The Kings made it a one-goal game at 13:26 of the third minute. Andrei Kuzmenko took a hit into the back of the net to tie the game and Quinton Byfield scored his second goal of the night.

The Golden Knights restored their two-goal lead on the power play at 15:59 of the third, after Jeremy Lauzon drew a penalty. Tanner Lazinski found Pavel Dorofeyev back-door for his second goal of the game.

The Kings pulled Anton Forsberg for an extra attacker with 3:39 remaining in regulation, and it paid off. Adrian Kempe set up Brandt Clark for a one-timer, and the defenseman scored from the point.

After once again trailing by only one goal, the Kings again pulled Forsberg for an extra attacker. However, this time, they could not make the change. Tomas Hertl forced a turnover, and Ivan Barbashev hit the empty net.

Despite missing five of their most important offensive players, the Golden Knights rallied for another third period comeback and an all-important regulation victory over a division rival.

“That’s what good teams do,” Pavel Dorofeyev said after the game. “No matter what, they embrace each other. Maybe we looked a little different on paper tonight, but we’re still the Golden Knights.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

It seems inevitable that the NBA will eventually grant an expansion franchise to Las Vegas. An announcement is expected later this year after the NBA completes its new media rights deals.

Due to the success of the Golden Knights, there may be a lot of unrealistic expectations for a new NBA team in Vegas. Taking a step back, the Golden Knights can arguably be considered the most successful expansion franchise in North American men’s professional sports history.

While the St. Louis Blues made the Stanley Cup Finals in the first three years of their existence, this was due to a unique setup where one of the “Expansion Six” of Oakland, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minnesota or St. Louis had to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals as the Finals pitted the winner of the “Expansion Six” playoff versus the winner of the “Original Six” playoff. The Blues lost each of those three Stanley Cup Final series.

Of course, the Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in more traditional fashion in 2018, their first season of existence, losing to the Washington Capitals (4-1). They later defeated the Florida Panthers (4–2) in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals to win the Stanley Cup in their sixth season of existence. They also reached the Western Conference Finals in their third season of existence and finished as division champions in four of their first eight seasons. Vegas has made the NHL playoffs in seven of its first eight seasons and is poised to make the post-season again in 2026.

How does all this success compare to other NHL expansion teams? Well, this is nothing more than a comparison. Since the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in their sixth season, we’ll look at the first six seasons of expansion teams since 1991. Since this is Vegas, we’ll give each team a ranking of a famous Las Vegas Strip property. Wynn (class of the bunch), Planet Hollywood (surprisingly good), Flamingo (good, but could be better), and Circus Circus (comically bad).

As you can see from the chart, Vegas has the best winning percentage and most playoff appearances of any franchise in its first six seasons. It was fitting that Vegas defeated Florida to capture their first Stanley Cup as, up to that point, Florida was the most successful expansion team of the modern era, having made the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals in just their third season of existence, but were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

Additionally, if anyone watched the first few seasons of Atlanta, Tampa Bay, San Jose or Ottawa, you know that Circus Circus is an apt description as those teams were nothing short of clown shows.

So, it’s clear that the Golden Knights have been the most successful NHL expansion team in the modern era, but how do they stack up against expansion NFL, MLB, and NBA teams? Only five expansion teams in the Big Four history of North American men’s professional sports have captured titles in a shorter or longer period of time than the Golden Knights. However, there are some caveats. In 1996, the Baltimore Ravens were technically considered an expansion team because their history and records were left in Cleveland, but they were far from a typical expansion team. While the Browns still had only three players left when the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV, the base they started with in Baltimore was far better than a typical expansion team.

The same applies to the 1984 Edmonton Oilers championship team. The team came to the NHL from the World Hockey Association for the 1979–80 season with a roster of young stars that rivaled any established NHL team’s roster. The team included two of the greatest players in NHL history, a young Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, and gathered a wealth of talent around them.

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997, in only their fifth season of existence. However, they did not record a winning record in any of their first four seasons and then suddenly sold all of their stars shortly after purchasing the championship, losing 108 games the following season.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Arizona Diamondbacks were legitimate expansion teams that won championships faster than the Golden Knights. In fact, the Bucks only have a .672 winning percentage over a team’s first six seasons, which is better than Vegas. The Bucks also tallied five playoff appearances and two Finals appearances in Vegas’ first six seasons; After winning the championship in its third season in 1971, Milwaukee lost to the Boston Celtics (4–3) in the 1974 NBA Finals.

Another comparison is to look at the first six seasons of the most recent expansion teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. We’ll use the same hotel ranking system as above.

Arizona winning the 2001 World Series in only their fourth year of existence is certainly notable, but even compared to expansion teams from other leagues, the Golden Knights are still on top. Other than the Golden Knights, no expansion team since 1998 has made more than three playoff appearances in their first six seasons and no other expansion team since 1998 has had a higher win/point percentage in their first six seasons.

The Seattle Kraken were the NHL’s next expansion team after Vegas, so how did they stack up? Seattle is currently in its fifth season of play. His winning percentage is .483 with one playoff appearance in his first four seasons. Respectable, but incomparable to Vegas’ continued success.

Vegas remains the gold standard by which all other modern expansion teams are measured. Yes, they certainly took advantage of some favorable expansion draft rules and loopholes that previous expansion franchises were not afforded, but they remain a perennial Stanley Cup contender now approaching their tenth season in the NHL. They have been able to accomplish what many have not been able to do, consistently win on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are here, and after a 12-long wait, NHL players are in attendance. The preliminary round came and went, setting the stage for four more elimination games on Tuesday and four more on Wednesday.

Eight players from the Vegas Golden Knights organization and head coach Bruce Cassidy are also representing their countries in Milan. Jonas Rondbjerg was also scheduled to represent Denmark, and was one of the first six players named to the roster. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury two games before the Olympic break and is on IR.

Due to the infuriating time zone difference – Milan is nine hours ahead of Vegas – there’s a good chance you missed some (or all) of the preliminary round.

I confess, I left every game at 3:10am. But because we live in a beautiful new age of technology, I was able to go back and watch replays on Peacock. Thanks, peacock!

So, if you haven’t had a chance to see the nine Golden Knights don their nations’ colors and take to the ice in Milan, don’t fret. I’ve got you covered.

team usa

Let’s start with the home team, shall we? The Golden Knights have two representatives playing for Team USA, and both are important in their own right.

Through three games of group play, Jack Eichel has easily become one of the best forwards for Team USA. For a two-way center like Eichel, offensive stats don’t tell the whole story — but they’re impressive. He has one goal and three assists and has registered 12 shots on net.

Team USA may have the best or at least the deepest defensive squad in the tournament. So, Noah Hanifin hasn’t been asked to do ‘too much’. He averages only 11:09 TOI, but has been excellent in his limited role. Hanifin has a goal and two points in three games and has been very physical.

Despite some weak performances, Team USA advanced out of the preliminary round with nine points and a perfect record of 3–0–0–0. Thus, they received a bye into the quarterfinals and will face either Sweden or Latvia on Wednesday at 12:10 pm PST.

team sweden

One Swedish player comes from the Golden Knights, and it is their newest player, Rasmus Andersson.

With all the talented offensive defensemen on Team Sweden – Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Hedman – Andersson isn’t very high in the pecking order. This resulted in a less than ideal performance on the global stage.

In two games where he averaged 16:03 TOI, Anderson failed to register a point and was -2. This resulted in a good defeat against Slovakia on Saturday.

Despite their six points and 2-0-1-0 record, Sweden has yet to play up to expectations. There is still time to rally and try for a medal, but they will have to do it the hard way.

Sweden will play Latvia in an elimination game on Tuesday at 12:10 pm PST. The winner will face Team USA in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

team czechia

Because they are in a strong group, Czechia will have to work hard during the preliminary round to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for Czechia this has not really happened.

Despite playing on the top line alongside David Pastrnak, Hertl has not been able to find his stride. He is yet to register a point in the tournament. However, this has not been for lack of effort – he has registered nine shots on goal. In all fairness, he is averaging 19:29 TOI, which is two minutes more than he played with the Golden Knights.

It’s not just Hertl who is struggling. Despite having a talented roster, Czechia has yet to find its place. After the preliminary round, they have four points and a record of 1-0-1-1.

Team Czechia will take on Denmark on Tuesday at 7:40 am PST; The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to play Team USA on Wednesday.

team switzerland

The Olympics are about unexpected success stories; This year this honor goes to Switzerland.

Schmid started only one game for Switzerland; Unfortunately, it was against the biggest power: Canada. He made 34 saves – including a real beauty against Sidney Crosby on a breakaway – but allowed five goals and finished with a .872 save percentage.

However, Switzerland did not let their loss to Canada affect their tournament. With five points and a record of 1-1-1-0, they have been the Olympics’ success story.

They play Italy on Tuesday at 3:10am PST; The winner will face Finland in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

team canada

Hey, Canada; Our home and native land. It is too early to say whether they are certain to win the gold medal, but it will take a spectacular performance to defeat them. They’re firing on all cylinders, and all three Golden Knights are attacking.

Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Sidney Crosby joined forces to form the strongest third line in the tournament. All three players have at least four points, and this is by no means a case of Crosby drawing a low line in the battle.

In three games, Stone recorded two tallies—one, a shorthanded strike, standing as the game-winning goal—and four points. He was +4, played on both special teams units and averaged 15:36 TOI.

Stone’s familiar classmate Marner has been equally influential. After three games, he has yet to score a goal, but has claimed two assists and is +5. Marner also played on both special teams units and averaged 15:46 TOI.

Finally, there’s Shia Theodore. With such a star-studded team, Canada didn’t ask for any heroics from Theodore. He’s averaging just 15:46 TOI through three games, much less than his 23:42 in Vegas this season. However, he has been both effective and influential. Theodore recorded one assist and is +2. He also quarterbacks the second power play unit.

With nine points and a perfect 3-0-0-0 record, Canada receives a bye into the quarter-finals. They will face either Czechia or Denmark on Wednesday at 7:40 am PST.

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel