Blog: Golden Knights can’t convert late chances, fall to Predators

By Justin Emerson

Published Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 | 4 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019 | 10 p.m.

The Golden Knights scored first, but allowed two quick goals in the second period and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.

It is the first time this season the Golden Knights have lost two games in a row at home in regulation.

The Golden Knights and Predators traded penalties in the third period, in what turned out to be Vegas' best chance of the frame.

Rocco Grimaldi got a hooking call, Max Pacioretty got a hooking call, then Mattias Ekholm took a delay of game. The Golden Knights had a power play, went to 4-on-4, then a 4-on-3 penalty, then 4-on-4 again before the 5-on-4 power play.

They did not score on any of them and finished the night 0-for-5 on the power play.

Nashville had only two shots on goal in the third period to the Golden Knights' 14, giving Vegas a 48-28 edge for the game.

Predators take the lead

Nashville made sure the Golden Knights didn't have a lead long into the second period, then grabbed one of its own, ending the period with a 2-1 lead.

The Predators' initial shot Marc-Andre Fleury in the shoulder, and bounced around near the crease. Brayden McNabb tried to clear it, but Ryan Johansen got a piece of it and the puck bounced into the net 52 seconds into the period to even the game.

The Predatirs added another less than three minutes later. FleuryAustin Watson appeared to pass the puck behind Fleury and into the slot, where Nick Bonino was there to put it home on an empty net, making it 2-1 Predators with 16:02 to go in the second.

The Golden Knights' best chance came at the end of a Jon Merrill penalty, when an errant offensive-zone pass put Paul Stastny and William Karlsson on a 2-on-0. Stastny slid the puck to Karlsson, whose shot was denied by a tremendous kick save from Juuse Saros.

With 26 seconds left in the period, P.K. Subban and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare got tied up, and Subban's finger ended up in Bellemare's mouth when Subban had him in a headlock. Subban must have said something, because Ryan Reaves started chasing Subban looking to throw down, but refs didn't let them go. Subban was charged two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Vegas wil start the third with 1:33 of power-play tome.

Pacioretty nets first-period goal

Any worries that the Golden Knights may be looking past Wednesday's game against the Nashville Predators to their eight-day break were quickly put to bet. They came out flying in the firt and led 1-0 then the period came to a close.

Paul Stastny, Alex Tuch and Max Pacioretty came out of the gates flying and may not have scored on their first two shifts, but made the third one count.

Stastny collected a rebound, twirled around a defender right of the net and flipped it over to Tuch. All the Predators thought Tuch was going to shoot, including goalie Juuse Saros, but instead Tuch shoveled the puck on the backhand to Pacioretty, who had an easy finish to make it 1-0 at 8:03.

The Golden Knights had the game's first five shots on goal and 10 of the first 11, which included Pacioretty's goal. Vegas led in shots on goal, 19-15.

The Predators had the period's only power play, and had three shots on goal.

Pre-game

Last month, in the days leading up to the Christmas break, Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said he didn't like the team's effort, and Vegas dropped two overtime home games in a row before taking three days off.

Tonight poses a similar issue. Vegas is about to take eight days off for the All-Star break and its bye week but first need to get through the Nashville Predators at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. It doesn't hurt the focus to play one of the Western Conference's best teams.

"It helps having Nashville come in. You're going to have to play hard; you know it's not going to be an easy one whatsoever," Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore said. "When guys are focusing on the task at hand and playing hard every shift, then I think we should have a good result."

The Predators come into tonight's game with the same 29-18-4 record as the Golden Knights, and that's not where the similarities stop. Neither has a superstar forward, instead spreading the puck around, and both have five double-digit goal-scorers without a player with 20. They both have goaltenders with legitimate Hall of Fame cases.

And they were the last two Stanley Cup representatives from the Western Conference.

"We're both deep in all positions — forward, D and goaltending — and they're the same," Vegas forward Ryan Carpenter said. "They just know how to win and play that playoff-style hockey. Playing against them, you know it's always going to be a hard game, but those are the fun ones to play into."

The last game before the break also provides a unique opportunity. With no practice Thursday, a week off and no game until Feb. 1, the Golden Knights don't have to leave anything in the tank.

"Obviously you play hard every night, but knowing you have a couple days off to relax, it'll push some guys," Theodore said. "I think that'll be good."

Emerson's Prediction: Golden Knights 4, Predators 3

Season record for predictions: Keefer 5-4, Emerson 12-6

TV: NBC Sports Network (DirecTV 220, Cox 1038, CenturyLink 640)

Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM

Betting line: Golden Knights minus-135, Predators plus-125; over/under: 6 (plus-110, minus-120)

Golden Knights (29-18-4) (16-5-3 home)

Coach: Gerard Gallant (second season)

Points leader: Alex Tuch (39)

Goals leader: Jonathan Marchessault (17)

Assists leader: Alex Tuch (23)

Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (2.50 gaa, .911 save percentage)

Predators (29-18-4) (13-9-4 road)

Coach: Peter Laviolette (fifth season)

Points leader: Ryan Johansen (42)

Goals leader: Viktor Arvidsson (19)

Assists leader: Ryan Johansen (34)

Expected goalie: Jusse Saros (2.67 gaa, .908 save percentage)

Golden Knights expected lineup

Forwards

Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Brandon Pirri, Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny, Alex Tuch, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, Ryan Carpenter, Tomas Nosek, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Brayden McNabb, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Deryk Engelland, Nick Holden, Colin Miller

Goalies

Marc-Andre Fleury, Maxime Lagace