Golden Knights Look To Roll Number 7 Win In A Row, But Montreal Canadiens Rally from 2-0 Deficit To Beat VGK, 3-2, On New Year’s Eve
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, a funny thing happened on the Golden Knights’ way to winning a seventh straight game after jumping out to a 2-0 lead on New Year’s Eve.
The Montreal Canadiens scored three straight goals, including the final two tallies in the third period, to steal a 3-2 win over the VGK Tuesday.
Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy said he was “pissed” about the loss and stated those were two points the Knights should have secured today.
After a 12:08 PM New Year’s Eve puck-drop, Vegas defensemen Zack Whitecloud and Noah Hanifin scored on wrist shots that beat Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault in the first period and the VGK skated into the first intermission enjoying a 2-0 advantage.
The unassisted Hanifin goal was a break-breaker for Montreal because the tally came with only 10.9 seconds left in the first stanza.
The Knights had won six straight games and the six-man defensive corps has been in lockdown mode, with solid goaltending from Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov during the winning streak.
Attendance was announced at 17,925.
In the second period, Montreal’s top goal scorer, Cole Caufield, notched his 19th of the season and 100th of his young career to cut into the VGK lead.
After two periods, Vegas led, 2-1, after Pavel Dorofeyev scored after the buzzer.
But the Golden Knights failed to close the deal in the third period.
Forth-liner Emil Heineman and Kirby Dach scored goals in the middle of the final period to ruin Vegas’ New Year’s Eve parties,
Final: Montreal 3 Vegas 2.
Vegas is 25-9-4, losing for only the fourth time on home ice.
The Knights host Philly back here Thursday at 7 PM
