Golden Knights Lose In OT To Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-1, Before Announced 17,783 Thursday; Next VGK Home Game Feb. 22
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It’s going to be a while until Vegas Golden Knights fans see their Knights in action here in Vegas.
There’s no VGK hockey at T-Mobile Arena until Feb. 22, and Las Vegas was left with the sour taste of the Knights blowing a 1-0 lead Thursday evening and losing, 2-1, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime before an announced crowd of 17,783.
The Vegas club does snag a point out of the OT defeat and has 68 points on the season as VGK head to metro New York for three games and one in Boston before the 4 Nations Face-off exhibition games.
The Knights-Columbus tilt wasn’t exactly scintillating hockey as the two NHL clubs scored a grand total of two goals through the first 60 minutes. The Blue Jackets’ Cole Sillinger fired in the winning goal in overtime into an unguarded net after VGK goalie Ilya Samsonov stopped a breakaway.
Red-hot goal-scoring machine Tomas Hertl, who has turned into a regular Phil Esposito, cranked a wrist shot past Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins in period one. It was Hertl’s 20th of the season.
VGK nearly took a 1-0 lead into the third period behind Samonov’s solid goaltending.
But with less than two minutes left in the second period, a puck deflected off VGK defenseman Nic Hague’s skate and dribbled into the net for a 1-1 game heading into the intermission. Adam Fantilli was credited with the Columbus goal.
After a scoreless third period, Columbus ended the game less than a minute into overtime.
Vegas is 31-15-6 for 68 points and is tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division.
