Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Vegas Golden Knights’ drama of firing their head coach, Bruce Cassidy, with a mere eight games left in the season has subsided as the VGK are only a win away from claiming a Pacific Division title.
Winning games under new coach John Tortorella will do that.
The Golden Knights are now 6-0-1 under Tortorella after Monday’s 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Vegas captain Mark Stone notched his 28th goal with a shorthanded tally in the second and then Reilly Smith scored the VGK’s second goal for a 2-0 Vegas lead after two periods. Vegas then closed the deal in the final period by pouring in four goals in the first eight minutes of the third.
Just the facts: Vegas Golden Knights 6 Winnipeg Jets 2
Vegas goal scorers: Mark Stone (28), Reilly Smith (14), Ivan Barbashev (23), Rasmus Andersson (17) Pavel Dorofeyev (37) Jack Eichel (27)
Attendance: 17,936
VGK record: 38-26-17 for 93 points and first place in Pacific Division
Tortorella postgame quotes: On VGK team, “I know it’s a good team. It was coached well prior to me. I had points of emphasis.” On goalie Carter Hart, “He looks dialed in. He looks confident.” On Mark Stone, “He does all the little things great.”
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The Knights are back to playing VGK hockey — peppering the opposition with shots, limiting shots on goal and steady goaltending. Vegas applied 38 shots on goal against Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who was the gold medal-winning goalie for team USA in the Winter Olympics.
Vegas struggled after the Olympic break under Cassidy, but have received a spark under Tortorella as the Knights have piled up 13 out of 14 possible points under the new coach and have ascended from third place to first place.
Vegas will try to win the division Wednesday when the Seattle Kraken visit Las Vegas for the VGK’s final game of the regular season.
PSA