It’s A Wild One: Minnesota Snags 3-2 Shootout Win Over Golden Knights In Vegas Thursday
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
When you have a novel coronavirus pandemic, there’s not much that can surprise you in sports. So when the Vegas Golden Knights took the ice tonight against the Minnesota Wild, they were down a suspended Chandler Stephenson and injured Zach Whitecloud and Ryan Reaves.
The VGK had only 16 skaters (including only 10 forwards instead of the usual dozen) and two goalies and there were lots of social distance room on the Golden Knights bench for the Knights-Wild showdown, which featured the second-place and third-place teams in the West Division. Keegan Kolesar was the fourth line by himself, with Nic Roy getting the nod to center the top line with wingers Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty.
The Knights opened the scoring when forward William Karlsson fired home a goal in the first period. It was his 10th of the season.
But Minnesota matched that goal with a score by a Kirill Kaprizov, his 13th.
And that’s the way, the period ended: Minnesota 1 Vegas 1
*
Circa hotel-casino owner Derek Stevens has a sponsorship deal with the Golden Knights and the VGK have deployed their TV broadcasters Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy to promote Circa in pregame video shticks on the jumbotron. The current video promotion has Goucher and Hnidy with Stevens at Circa’s Stadium Swim, where a giant sports screen sits outside with the Circa pools.
*
Marc-Andre Fleury had a rough night one night ago, and Robin Lehner has been solid for the VGK tonight. But it was Minnesota goalie Cam Talbot who committed robbery on VGKer Kolesar by flashing the leather to rob Kolesar of a certain goal midway through the middle stanza.
The night also featured a successful marriage proposal. It worked out OK.
Talbot also denied speedy Alex Tuch on a breakaway (unlike the marriage proposal earlier in the evening).
And the entertaining game was tied, 1-1, after two periods.
“I think Minnesota’s a good transition team and we got forced to play their style of game today,” VGK forward Reilly Smith observed.
*
The Golden Knights took a lead only about 90 seconds into the final period when defenseman Brayden McNabb ripped a wrist shot past Talbot.
But the 2-1 lead evaporated when Jared Spurgeon blasted his fourth goal of the season by Lehner and the hotly-contested game was even at two.
Off to overtime the game went.
The Knights enjoyed a 4-on-3 power play in OT, but couldn’t cash in on a game-winning goal.
And in the shootout, Talbot stopped Jonathan Marchessault, Theodore and Tuch and the Wild used a score by Kevin Fiala in the shootout to come away with the second point.
In a shootout, Minnesota 3 Vegas 2.
“I really liked our effort and I really liked our game. We got contributions from everybody tonight. The crowd was great. It was just one of those nights where we didn’t stick the puck in the net,” VGK coach Pete DeBoer said.
Tonight’s scores:
And the Wild vs. VGK scoring:
