Golden Knights Squeeze A Point Out Of 5-4 Shootout Loss To St. Louis On MLK Day Game Monday; Attendance At 17,819
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Vegas Golden Knights were cruising along racking up wins, but then the two New York teams showed up at T-Mobile Arena a few weeks ago and the VGK had lost five of six games entering today’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee with the St. Louis Blues.
The Knights’ losing ways were brutal on a just-concluded road trip with losses in Nashville, Carolina and Chicago.
Well, there was some good news and some bad news for Vegas today.
The VGK rallied with two 6-on-5 goals in the final three minutes or so to tie this game at four apiece and send the contest into overtime.
But Jack Eichel missed an open net in OT and the Blues took the shootout for a 5-4 SO win. The Golden Knights salvaged a point from the game and are now 29-14-4 for 62 points.
After the game, VGK coach Bruce Cassidy said he had multiple feelings throughout this game. At first, Cassidy said he thought the team might not get a point in the standings. Then he thought VGK could have drawn two points on Eichel’s missed tap-in in overtime. And in the end, Vegas snagged one point.
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The first period ended with the Knights shaking their heads.
After Brayden Schenn snapped a wrister past VGK goalie Adin Hill, Tomas Hertl tied the game with a power play goal from in close for his 16th of the season.
It was 1-1 with only 16.4 second left in the first period when fourth-liner Nathan Walker gave the Blues a 2-1 lead.
Things were not working out for Vegas in the second period when Jake Neighbours skated in and snapped a shot past Hill for a 3-1 lead.
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Brett Howden scored an important goal for Vegas when he turned around and slapped in a shot past St. Louis netminder Jordan Binnington midway through the middle stanza.
Howden’s 16th of the season cut into the Blues’ lead at 3-2.
It was a strong announced crowd of 17,819 for the MLK Day game, which started at 3 PM Monday.
For VGK fans, they lamented the way the Knights finished the second period.
Alexander Holtz took an ill-advised penalty and St. Louis made the VGK pay on the power play with a goal by defenseman Cam Fowler with only 31 seconds to go in the middle period.
The Knights trailed, 4-2, heading into the second intermission.
The Knights had their chances in the third period. And they cashed in.
They pulled Hill and Eichel scored a 6-on-5 goal to slice the two-goal in half to a mere goal.
VGK applied heavy pressure on Binnington in the final minute and Vegas scored the equalizer when Shea Theodore slid the puck to Pavel Dorofeyev who ripped a rocket past the Blues goalie for a dramatic game-tying goal from the right circle for a 4-4 tie with only about 30 seconds left in regulation.
The game went into OT.
Then a shootout, with the Blues winning the SO.
Final: St. Louis 5 Vegas 4 in a shootout.
VGK hit the road with games in St. Louis and Dallas this week before playing their next home game here in Las Vegas against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers Sunday at 5 PM.
