VGK Score 4-2 Win Over Weak Vancouver Team In John Tortorella’s Debut As Vegas Coach
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, the Vegas Golden Knights are one for one in the John Tortorella era.
In the first game after Bruce Cassidy was fired Sunday and Tortorella was named head coach of the nine-year-old franchise, the Golden Knights defeated an awful 21-win Vancouver team, 4-2.
The game started slowly for Vegas, with not much energy on the ice and in the building as Vancouver took a 1-0 lead on a goal by an old Vegas foe, Evander Kane, his 339th of his career.
In his postgame comments, Tortorella said the Knights looked nervous and slow in the first period and then got up to speed in the middle stanza.
“I just want them to relax,” said Tortorella, known as Torts around the league.
The 23-year veteran NHL coach, whose coaching resume includes a stop in Vancouver, said he is also adjusting to being back in the game: “There is some rust.”
It’s hard to draw any conclusions about Tortorella’s impact on an underachieving team that showed limited emotional fire under Cassidy in recent weeks as the VGK fell in the Pacific Division standings from first place to third.
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In the second period, the Knights responded with a trio of goals while Vancouver’s Brock Boeser scored one for Vancouver as Vegas took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
Vegas’ Cole Smith scored an empty-netter to clinch the VGK win.
Just the facts: Vegas Golden Knights 4 Vancouver Canucks 2
VGK goal scorers: Rasmus Andersson (15), Shea Theodore (9), Reilly Smith (13), Cole Smith (8) empty-netter
Attendance: 17,810
VGK record: 33 wins 26 regulation losses 16 OT/shootout losses for 82 points
Tortorella postgame quote: “It’s a mindset. Mistakes have to be made through aggression.”
Vegas’ next opponent: Calgary Flames at T-Mobile Arena Thursday
PSA
