Penguins Erase 3-0 VGK Deficit, Surge Back To Defeat Golden Knights, 5-3, Monday
Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
Just the facts: Pittsburgh Penguins 5 Vegas Golden Knights 3
Storyline: Pittsburgh responded with five straight goals in periods two and three after VGK led, 3-0, after one period
Attendance: 18,213
Golden Knights goal scorers: Stephenson, Dadonov, Roy
VGK fact: Was 16-0 after leading after two periods going into game
Knights streak: three straight winless games
VGK points: 48 based on 23-15-2
VGK next game: vs Montreal Thursday at home
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The Golden Knights busted out with three goals in period one and enjoyed a 3-0 lead after the first period.
Center Chandler Stephenson, who many fans thought deserved to be in the NHL All-Star game, opened the scoring by going five hole with a goal against Pens’ All-Star goalie Tristan Jarry. It was Stevie’s 11th.
Evgenii Dadonov tipped home the Knights’ second goal. His tenth goal.
And Nic Roy capped the first period scoring. Roy’s 8th.
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Pittsburgh sliced the VGK lead to a mere goal after two periods after the Penguins dominated the middle stanza.
The first five minutes of the second period we take two penalties which immediately gives them momentum and puts us on our heels. — Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer
Jason Zucker registered a power play goal, while Teddy Blueger scored less than a minute later.
VGK goalie Robin Lehner preserved the one-goal lead with a breakaway save on Penguins star Sidney Crosby.
After two periods, it was Vegas 3 Pittsburgh 2
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Pittsburgh erased the three-goal deficit with two goals in the first three minutes of the third period.
Zucker tied the game at three only 28 seconds into the final period. It was his second of the game.
And then Jake Guentzel was credited with his 20th goal of the season 2:12 into the third period and Pittsburgh had a 4-3 lead.
Crosby sealed the win with an empty-netter and Pittsburgh had their fifth straight goal. It was the Knights’ third straight setback.
With Fleury off to Chicago, the Golden Knights are 17th in the NHL in golds against. The lockdown defense and sterling goaltending have not been there this season like last year. Pittsburgh’s goalie, Jarry, came in averaging 2.05 goals a game. Lehner is allowing 2.91 goals a game.
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The Penguins are a red hot team and also a road-weary team, playing the final game of a six-game road trip here in Las Vegas tonight.
The Pens have won 12 of 14 and have a solid 22-10-5 record. The Penguins are coming over an overtime win over San Jose Saturday after losing to the Los Angeles Kings, 6-2, in downtown LA.
It’s been a mixed bag of what has turned into a longer-than-expected homestand for the Golden Knights, which has two games in Canada postponed because the NHL did not want to stage games in arenas in Canada with arena crowd size restrictions. The Knights’ last game was a 4-3 shootout loss to Toronto after a loss to Chicago and former original Misfit Marc-Andre Fleury. That was after a 5-1 home win against the New York Rangers and former Knights, coach Gerard Gallant and forward Ryan Reaves.
