An original misfit, William Carrier, visited his former club tonight in the fortress. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Golden Knights had a disastrous battle on the ice tonight. The VGK had a few updates coming into this game. The Golden Knights’ Captain, Mark Stone, was still absent from the bench tonight. However, he is planning on joining the crusade on the road with the team tomorrow. Nicolas Hague and Victor Olofsson are both on IR (injured reserve) as of tonight’s game.
Period One
The Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes were in a close battle as soon as the puck dropped in period one. Each club manifested great chances to score, but Vegas quickly fell behind the shots on goal. The VGK resorted to passing through the crease rather than getting pucks on the net. Carolina Hurricane Eric Robinson scored midway through the period on a five-hole goal. Vegas goaltender Adin Hill saw too much action in the first period, with sixteen shots on goal from Carolina compared to four from the Golden Knights. As seen in the recent VGK/Seattle game, the Knights heavily relied on their defensive abilities.
While the defensive line saw a remake during the offseason, the growing pains have continued to be apparent for the Vegas club. The Carolina Hurricanes scored again after a shooter recovered his rebound in front of the net, lifting the puck over Hill and scoring (0-2). The Golden Knights failed to complete passes, turned over the puck multiple times, and seemed to fall behind Carolina in aggression. Although the first period was unforgiving for the Golden Knights, they did have a few decent odd-man rushes and scoring opportunities. Jack Eichel prevented a score while hiding in a player’s shadow and lifting his stick before he could receive a pass in the crease.
Period Two
The first shift in the second period for the Golden Knights was promising. William Karlsson, Tanner Pearson, and Alexander Holtz nearly sparked the team to get involved in the game. After sustained pressure, the Carolina Hurricanes drew a hooking penalty and offered the VGK the spark they needed. Sadly, the potential “spark” ended in Shea Theodore being stripped of the puck in his zone and the Hurricanes scoring only 11 seconds into the Knights’ power play. It went downhill from there as the VGK continued to give pucks away. The Hurricanes took advantage of the free pass and sent a wild puck toward the net, which deflected into the net (4-0).
Hoping to kick the Knights into gear with a goaltender change, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy’s last-ditch effort, was to pull goaltender Adin Hill from the match, replacing him with Akira Schmid. This was Schmid’s first regular-season NHL game. Zac Whitecloud drew a hooking penalty, but the VGK were able to safely kill the man-advantage. However, the VGK did add some aggression to their checks and puck battles, winning more battles and allowing the VGK to get a few shots on goal late in the second. The revival only lasted a few minutes and with six seconds left in the second period, Keegan Kolesar tripped Sebastian Aho, starting the last and final period off to unnecessary power play.
Period Three
Good news to start the third was the successful kill of the Hurricane’s power play. The Golden Knights were more aggressive in the puck battles but were still giving pucks away to Carolina. Jack Eichel saved the VGK from a shut-out, finally putting Vegas on the board with a point-blank goal. With a hopeful opportunity, the Golden Knights were sent to the power play after a Hurricane penalty was called. Despite the determination to capitalize on the man advantage, Ivan Barbashev received a questionable penalty call, ending their saving grace.
The Golden Knights may have fallen apart in the first two periods, but they were winning the third. To add to the confusion, Head Coach Bruce Cassidy pulled goaltender Akira Schmid with nearly six minutes left in the third. Unfortunately, it did not last long when the Hurricanes scored after another turnover. Carolina Hurricane Jalen Chatfield caught a holding penalty with almost two minutes left in the final period. Ivan Barbashev got the last laugh in response to the questionable call earlier in the game as he scored, lifting the VGK a little higher from their one goal.
The Knights Lose Their Home-Winning Streak
The Golden Knights have officially fallen in the fortress (5-2). After an 8-0 winning streak in the fortress, the Knights faced one of the best-performing clubs in the league this season. The Knights played all-around below the level of play that Carolina was on. Even though the VGK has performed fantastically in most games this season, they never legitimately showed up to this one. The Golden Knights need a considerable change of course, as the Stanley Cup playoffs are only getting closer and closer.
