Eichel’s goals not enough for Golden Knights in frustrating 4-2 loss

NEW YORK — Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel scored twice, but it wasn’t enough in a the Golden Knights’ 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Eichel scored in the first and second periods, while Adin Hill made 24 for the Golden Knights (31-16-6), which has lost three in a row.

“It’s frustrating because, obviously, we wanted to push and try and get that next goal,” Eichel said. “We had some chances but weren’t able to get it. … We did a lot of good things through 40 minutes. To let it slip away, it’s not a great feeling. It’s a 60-minute game. Obviously, you have to find a way to finish it off. We’ll learn from it and get better.”

Golden Knights Fire Away

The Golden Knights fired away with 36 shots on goal. They also missed the net 16 times, had two hit crossbar or posts, and had 15 shots blocked.

Vegas made a concerted effort to shoot the puck whenever they saw a clear lane, which hasn’t always been the case.

“With a man-on-man system, you try to beat guys out of position and try and get pucks to the net and create rebounds and create traffic,” Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “We did a good job of that, just in capitalizing on our chances. We had chances.”

Unable To Close

The Golden Knights went into the third period with a 2-1 lead. They entered the game 19-2-1 in games where they entered the final period ahead.

The Rangers managed to score three against Vegas, and the finishes haven’t been clean for the Golden Knights.

As to how can they fix it? Eichel said it would take a complete effort by the team.

“And at the beginning of the year, it seemed like we were confident going into those third periods,” Eichel said. “We’ve played with a lot of leads and been able to put teams away, and as of late, it’s kind of slipped a little bit. So, yeah, it’s frustrating. We’ve got to figure out a way to get out of this. Obviously, we’re going through a little bit of adversity now, and we all just got to dig in and be better for each other.”

Saad, Lavoie Stand Out

Forwards Brandon Saad and Raphael Lavoie had strong outings.

Saad, who was signed Friday, did exactly what he’s known for: heavy forechecker and getting to the front of the net. He finished with three shots on goal in 16:22 of ice time.

“Saad was fine. I’d have to look at it closer. He had a couple of looks,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Lavoie played 11:58 and finished with four shots on goal and played a solid game overall.

“Puck was falling on him. He really had opportunities to score tonight. Something he has done well at lower levels. So, unfortunately, he wasn’t able to capitalize, but that’s good that you have chances, right?” Cassidy said. “That’s step one. Hopefully the next time he gets them, he’s able to finish.”

Former Goalie Makes History

Jonathan Quick was stuck on win No. 399 before beating the Golden Knights for win No. 400. He made 34 saves to become the first American-born goalie to win 400 games.

“I love the guy. He was great for us,” Cassidy said. “He came in late at [trade] deadline. We didn’t really know where he’d be. We weren’t sure where his mindset would be. … He came in. He was fantastic. The hardest-working guy on the ice every day. Guys love competing against him in practice.”