VGK End Preseason With 4-2 Loss To San Jose Sharks Saturday; Real Games Start Tuesday When Chicago Visits Vegas
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — When the home team rolls out Alf on the video screen to get fans to cheer, maybe things are kind of slow at a NHL preseason gme.
Such was the case in the middle of the second period during tonight’s Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks when San Jose was leading, 2-0, scoring a pair of goals on a measly four shots on VGK goalie Carter Hart.
By the end of the middle stanza, the VGK crowd came to life on a power play goal by Tomas Hertl, who scored easily on Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov.
San Jose led, 2-1, after two periods.
The Knights rolled out a lineup you will likely see here Tuesday when Vegas opens the season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
That means Carter Hart will likely be in the VGK goalie, with Adin Hill serving as backup.
For the record, the Knights dominated action, outshooting San Jose, 27-6, and scoring the equalizer on a Nic Dowd tally in the third to knot the game at two apiece.
The Knights have a veteran playoff team, anchored by two players in their 30s (Brayden McNabb and defensive partner Shea Theodore) and four other D-men who are all 29 each. The team’s top line are all 30 years old or older, (Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, both 30 and Mark Stone is 34). The team number two, three and four centers are all in their 30s — William Karlsson, 33; Tomas Hertl, 32; and Dowd, 36.
General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has assembled another win-now roster.
But the goalie questions persist. Will Hill regain his Stanley Cup-winning form. Is Hart more than just an average NHL goalie?
As for San Jose, the team is ascending, anchored by budding superstar center Macklin Celebrini, with pickups of postseason veterans like winger Mason Marchment and defensemen Darnell Nurse and Jason Trouba.
After Vegas tied the game in the third, Marchment and 19-year-old Michael Misa scored goals for a 4-2 lead. Both scored high over the shoulders of Hart for both goals.
Vegas reported attendance at 17,264.
San Jose wrapped up the exhibition game win and VGK finished with a 3-1 record in the preseason, with the newly-extended 84-game regular season set for takeoff.
Ticket prices on the secondary market for Tuesday’s Vegas/Chicago season-opener at T-Mobile Arena:
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