Blog: Golden Knights fall to Sharks in overtime

By Justin Emerson

Published Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 | 3 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 | 9:45 p.m.

Logan Couture scored at 3:20 into overtime as the Golden Knights fell to the San Jose Sharks 2-1 at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.

It was the 11th straight overtime game the Golden Knights have failed to score at 3-on-3. It was also the first loss to the Sharks this season after winning the previous two.

Brayden McNabb scored in the third period for the Golden Knights' goal. Timo Meier scored first for the Sharks.

Vegas led in shots on goal 38-29.

Golden Knights going to overtime with Sharks

The last two times the Golden Knights met the Sharks, they blew them out of the water, winning the first two games of the season by a combined score of 9-2.

It wouldn't happen this time. Vegas netted a third-period goal, sending the game to overtime in a 1-1 tie.

The Sharks took the lead in the second period thanks to a strong play from Timo Meier to fight off Nate Schmidt and connect on a shot. That led held until 9:42 of the following frame.

The game-tying goal came from an unlikely source. William Carrier made a nice play to grab the puck and when a rebound bounced to Brayden McNabb at the point, McNabb whipped it through the defense to net his second of the season 18 seconds shy of the period's midpoint.

Vegas finished regulation with a shots on goal lead of 34-22.

Golden Knights trail Sharks by a goal after 2 periods

If you looked at everything but the score, you would think the Golden Knights were winning after two period. They controlled the game, but the Sharks scored the only goal of the frame as Vegas trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes.

Timo Meier broke the tie 1:26 into the second period. He streaked down the right-wing side on his backhand with Nate Schmidt contesting him the whole way. Meier got a shot off and the puck went in just before the net came off for a good goal and a 1-0 San Jose lead.

The Golden Knights continued to dominate in everything but the scoreboard. They led in shots on goal 28-17, and defenseman Shea Theodore had a team-high six.

Each side had a power play in the period but nothing came of either. Cody Glass briefly left the bench to get attended to in the dressing room, but returned before the period was over.

Golden Knights, Sharks scoreless after 1

If it's Golden Knights and Sharks, it's going to be fun. It was a physical, intense first period, but no goals came out of it and the first intermission was greeted with a 0-0 tie.

There was plenty of emotion before the game even began. The Golden Knights hosted Hockey Fights Cancer Night, a league-wide initiative where every team dedicates a game to those battling cancer. Shea Theodore, who fought testicular cancer this summer, served as the captain for the ceremonial puck drop. The one who dropped it was Kay Darlington, Theodore's grandmother who has stage four cancer.

Then the game started. Golden Knights fans jeered Evander Kane every time he touched the puck, including a chant of "pay your markers," a reference to a lawsuit from a Las Vegas casino alleging he borrowed betting credits and never repaid them.

The Sharks scored first with 6:08 left in the period on a deflection in the high slot from Antti Suomela. The Golden Knights challenged for goaltender interference and won when officials ruled Tio Meier bumped Marc-Andre Fleury. The game stayed scoreless.

And scoreless the period remained. The Golden Knights had the only power play of the period but had only two shots on goal.

Vegas led in shots on goal 14-6 and did not allow the Sharks any good looks.

Golden Knights renew rivalry with Sharks

The Golden Knights and Sharks met in a home-and-home to open the season, with Vegas winning both by a combined score of 9-2. Don't expect a similar result when the teams meet again tonight.

The Sharks are playing their best hockey of the season, winners of six of their last seven and playing with a newfound confidence. While both teams are trying to stay their current course — Vegas has won its last two — that doesn't mean the rivalry game won't live up to its billing when the puck drops at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

"I think it's going to be a real competitive game tonight and a typical Sharks-Vegas Golden Knights game," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said with a smirk. "It should be a good battle."

The teams know each other as well as any two teams can. They met in a seven-game playoff series in April, played twice in the preseason then started the regular season with a two-game series. There were fireworks and after-the-whistle skirmishes, including in their most recent meeting on Oct. 4 when six players received misconduct penalties.

It's also the first regular season game the Golden Knights will see Evander Kane, who was suspended three games after the preseason finale. While he's best known in Las Vegas for his duels with Ryan Reaves, Kane leads the Sharks with 12 goals and is fourth with 19 points.

But it's also a divisional game. The Golden Knights are in a playoff position in third place in the Pacific, while the Sharks are on the outside looking in.

"The divisional games are four-point games, right, they mean a little bit more," Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt said. "They may mean a little bit more with playoff history and a little bit more with individual players' history and a little bit more with everything that's happened. So it does fire us up a little bit."

"It's good that both teams are playing well right now, so that it adds a little bit extra atmosphere to the game," Schmidt said. "I'm excited. It should be fun."

Nicolas Roy was recalled on an emergency basis Wednesday night, leading to speculation that one of the Golden Knights forwards is injured and will miss tonight's game. Gallant however said he does not expect Roy to play, and projects the lineup to remain the same as it has the past two games.

The Golden Knights will see San Jose backup goalie Aaron Dell, making his first start since Nov. 2 and his first against the Golden Knights in the last 12 meetings between the two clubs.

The Golden Knights have picked up two solid wins in a row after losing their previous five. Marc-Andre Fleury has been tremendous in those games after going through a slump of his own, and Mark Stone and Cody Eakin have both scored in the last two games.

Vegas is playing good hockey now. But so is San Jose, which makes it that much more fun.

TV: AT&T Sports Net (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760)

Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM

Betting line: Golden Knights minus-185, Sharks plus-155; over/under: 6.5 (minus-110, minus-110)

Golden Knights (11-9-3, 25 points) (6-4-2 home), third place, Pacific Division

Coach: Gerard Gallant (third season)

Points leader: William Karlsson (23)

Goals leaders: Reilly Smith, Mark Stone (10)

Assists leaders: William Karlsson (15)

Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (2.49 GAA, .921 save percentage)

Sharks (10-11-1, 21 points) (3-6-1 road), seventh place, Pacific Division; seventh place, Wild Card

Coach: Peter DeBoer (fifth season)

Points leaders: Logan Couture (22)

Goals leaders: Evander Kane (12)

Assists leaders: Logan Couture (19)

Expected goalie: Aaron Dell (3.83 GAA, .878 save percentage)

Golden Knights projected lineup

Forwards

Max Pacioretty—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith

Jonathan Marchessault—Cody Eakin—Mark Stone

Alex Tuch—Paul Stastny—Cody Glass

William Carrier—Tomas Nosek—Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Brayden McNabb—Nate Schmidt

Nicolas Hague—Shea Theodore

Jon Merrill—Deryk Engelland

Goalies

Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban