By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
No matter if the games come three in four days or once a week, the Vegas Golden Knights keep on piling up the wins.
After Wednesday’s 5-2 win over San Jose back in Vegas, the VGK had only one game until the Knights play a big showdown game with the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday April 28.
It was tonight in Anaheim against a a weak-scoring Ducks squad and the Golden Knights took care of business with a 5-1 win over Anaheim on a day that second-place Colorado lost to St. Louis, 5-3. It was the Knights’ record ninth consecutive win as the VGK improved to 34-11-2, the best record in the National Hockey League.
It’s an impressive run. I don’t care who you’re playing to win nine in a row. We’ve done it all kinds of different ways. — Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer
The Knights got on the scoreboard in less than a half-minute when Chandler Stephenson scored off an assist from linemate Max Pacioretty a mere 28 seconds into the contest in suburban Southern California. Stephenson was not finished. He then scored his second of the period and his 12th of the season at 14:44 with the assist to defenseman Shea Theodore (his 33rd assist this season).
After one period with Robin Lehner in goal, the Knights led, 2-0.
In period two, VGK defenseman Alex Pietrangelo stripped a Ducks player of the puck and then fed winger Will Carrier on a two-on-one, with Carrier burying the goal to give the Knights a 3-0 at 6:12 of the middle stanza.
After Ducks forward Sam Steel cut the Golden Knights to 3-1 only two minutes into the third period, the Knights’ William Karlsson (12) and Theodore (7) responded with goals to balloon the Vegas lead to a comfortable 5-1. When Theodore scored, exasperated Anaheim goalie John Gibson flipped his stick in the air out of frustration.
I asked Theodore via Zoom if he thinks he has a crack at winning the Norris Trophy for the league’s best defenseman with seven goals and 33 assists, for 40 points — two points off the lead.
The R-J’s Ben Gotz captured Alex Pietrangelo’s take:
That capped the night’s scoring: Vegas 5 Anaheim 1. Lehner is now 12-1-2. The ninth straight win is a VGK franchise record. The Golden Knights’ plus 57 goal differential is best in the league.
With the win, Vegas took the eight-game series, 7-1, including two OT wins. The Ducks’ sole win was a 1-0 victory in Vegas on Feb. 11.
The Knights, Avalanche and Minnesota Wild have all clinched playoff berths.
VGK coach Pete DeBoer, postgame:
Saturday’s NHL scores: