The Vegas Golden Knights (45-20-8) played their second game in 22 hours, but you wouldn’t have known it to watch them. Despite the grueling travel schedule, they didn’t look particularly fatigued. They ground out a tough 3-1 win against the Nashville Predators (27-38-8) to sweep their three-game road trip.
In the first period, neither team was particularly strong defensively. Both teams cut through the neutral zone with ease. Back and forth, the teams traded chances; it’s a credit to Adin Hill and Justus Annunen that the game was scoreless after 20 minutes.
Less than six minutes into the second period, the Predators took the lead on their first and only power play opportunity. Ryan O’Reilly won the opening draw, and Filip Forsberg passed to Nick Blankenburg. Blankenburg walked the blue line and wristed a shot that O’Reilly redirected past Adin Hill.
The Golden Knights answered back less than three minutes later. Jack Eichel raced into the zone, pulled up below the goal line, and sent a pass back to Mark Stone. Stone fed Shea Theodore for a one-timer; Justus Annunen made the save, but Eichel potted the rebound.
Less than five minutes into the third period, Mark Stone drew a penalty after a hardworking shift. On the ensuing power play, Reilly Smith crashed the net and scored his first goal since being reacquired by the Golden Knights.
After taking the lead, the Golden Knights shifted gears and focused on shutting the Predators down. They still pushed offensively, but you could see a cautious element to their game. They didn’t cheat defensively and were rewarded with 14 uneventful minutes.
The Predators pulled Justus Annunen for the extra attacker with 2:07 remaining in the third period. Nick Blankenburg rimmed the puck around the boards, and Shea Theodore stopped it and bumped it to Jack Eichel. Eichel sprung Brett Howden up ice, who buried it into the empty net.
Three stars of the game: Reilly Smith, Adin Hill, Ryan O’Reilly
7 Golden Knights Observations
1. That goal had to feel good for Reilly Smith. He’s had no shortage of Grade-A chances since returning to the Golden Knights but couldn’t finish. Justus Annunen absolutely robbed him earlier in the game, but Smith got his revenge and scored his first goal since January 23rd.
2. Jack Eichel is seven away from his first 100-point campaign. He’s been incredible, driving play but not sacrificing his defense for offense. He has an active six-game point streak, with five goals and 13 points over that stretch.
3. Saturday was Shea Theodore’s third game since returning from injury, and you can see him getting stronger and more comfortable every shift. The Golden Knights sorely missed him; Theodore does so much in the offensive zone.
4. The Golden Knights had just one power play opportunity on Saturday, and they converted on it. This power play is a game-changer. It’s the best in the league, with a 30.4% success rate. Having a lethal power play will make all the difference in the postseason– they’ll get fewer calls, but if they can continue converting on around 30% of them, that’s huge.
5. At 11:34 in the second period, it appeared that the Nashville Predators had taken a 2-1 lead, but the Golden Knights successfully challenged for goaltender interference. That’s when the momentum shifted. The Golden Knights started to take over the game. It was still a bit sloppy– just like on Friday against the Blackhawks, they allowed a few clean breakaways, but Adin Hill was up to the task.
6. Speaking of Adin Hill, he was incredible. Ilya Samsonov was scheduled to start but was a late scratch. Thus, Hill started his second game in 22 hours. But you wouldn’t have known that from watching him. Hill was sharp and ended the game with 23 saves on 24 shots and a .958 save percentage.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played two in two; probably the last time would’ve been in the AHL,” said Hill. “But it was fun. My body felt good, and I felt sharp… You prepare for every game the same way. You come to the rink with the mindset that if something happens, you’ve got to be ready to go in… It’s a little bit of a confidence booster, just knowing that you can do it.”
7. The Predators took the lead in the second period on the power play. William Karlsson received a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy was still heated about it postgame.
“I did not particularly like the call on Karlsson early on,” said Cassidy. “Here’s a guy with, now, two minutes total on the year in penalties. Nobody heard the whistle… I thought that was a tough one, but we battled through it.”
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