Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Blog: Golden Knights suffer worst loss of season, 8-3

0314VGKDevils04

Steve Marcus

New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (23) celebrates after scoring on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) at T-Mobile Arena Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

Updated Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | 9:38 p.m.

The Golden Knights suffered their worst home loss of the season, 8-3 to the New Jersey Devils, Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

It was Vegas’ third-straight home loss after losing only three of its first 21 games at home to start the season.

Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled early in the second period after allowing four goals on only 11 shots, and backup Maxime Lagace didn’t fare much better allowing four goals himself.

Blake Coleman scored twice for the Devils. Once in the first period to open the scoring, and once to start the second period to halt the Golden Knights’ short-lived comeback attempt.

Vegas scored two-straight goals to end the third period to cut the deficit to only two. Erik Haula netted his 10th power play goal of the season, followed by a long wrister by Collin Miller that beat Keith Kinkaid.

The momentum wouldn’t carry over through the intermission, and New Jersey scored four third period goals to put an exclamation point on the victory.

Haula scored his second goal of the game, and 11th power play goal of the season, in the final minute.

Devils lead 4-2 after two periods

Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled after allowing four goals on only 11 shots, and Vegas trails New Jersey 4-2 after two periods Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Devils’ forward Travis Zajac beat Fleury with a wrist shot from the slot only 1:55 into the second period to make it 3-0 New Jersey. Only 36 seconds later, Stefan Noesen snuck behind Vegas’ defense for a breakaway, and put the puck between Fleury’s legs to give the Devils a commanding 4-0 lead.

Coach Gerard Gallant replaced Fleury with rookie Maxime Lagace, who stopped all seven shots he faced to end the second period.

Erik Haula got the Golden Knights on the board with his team-high 10th power play goal of the season with 8:52 left in the period. It was Haula’s 26th goal of the season, and his 48th point.

Minutes later, Colin Miller fired a wrist shot from the point that found its way through traffic and past Devils’ goalie Keith Kinkaid. Jonathan Marchessault was skating past Kinkaid, obstructing his view on the goal.

Devils lead 2-0 after one period

The Golden Knights trail the Devils 2-0 after allowing two goals on the first three shots on goal Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

New Jersey opened the scoring 6:23 into the contest when Blake Coleman chased down a loose puck, hacked at it with his stick and poked it underneath Marc-Andre Fleury’s pads. It was only the fourth shorthanded goal the Golden Knights have surrendered this season.

Less than two minutes later, Nico Hischier threw a puck to the center of the ice, and Vegas forward Tomas Tatar accidentally deflected the puck into his own net to make it 2-0.

Tatar attempted to break up a cross-ice pass, surprising Fleury with a puck on goal and it slipped past him into the net.

Vegas outshot New Jersey 13-7 and created a slew of chances in front of the Devils’ net. Twice the Golden Knights had chances to put a rebound into a wide-open net but couldn’t get a stick on the puck either time.

The Devils are 13-4-2 when leading after one period this season, while the Golden Knights are 6-7-3 when trailing after 20 minutes.

Pre game

After a successful five-game road trip where the Golden Knights went 4-1, they are back at home tonight to host the New Jersey Devils at T-Mobile Arena.

Vegas finished up the trip with three straight wins in Detroit, Buffalo and Philadelphia to stretch its lead in the Pacific Division to 12 points.

“I feel like we had a good road trip and got a lot of confidence from it,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I feel like we are going to bring that back home tonight. We had a good day off yesterday to relax and recharge, and the energy was high today at the rink, and that’s always good to have the morning of the game.”

Multiple key players are still missing from the lineup for the Golden Knights, but they appear close to returning. James Neal, who has missed seven games with an upper body injury, was back at practice this morning wearing a red jersey to designate no contact.

Coach Gerard Gallant said Neal and Reilly Smith, who has missed three games with an upper body injury, won’t be in tonight’s lineup, but he expects them to return soon.

Backup goaltender Malcolm Subban participated in the last part of practice and faced shots as he recovers from a hand injury that has kept him on the injured reserve since Feb. 10.

But even shorthanded, the Golden Knights have continued to win. As each game passes, they are closing in on a playoff berth.

“I wouldn’t say we talk about it, but everyone knows where we’re at and knows where other teams are at,” Theodore said. “We know where we are, and we’re just going to focus on tonight. In the final stretch of the season, you have to sharpen up a little bit to try and gear up and get ready for the last little bit of the season.”

Vegas beat the Devils 3-2 in New Jersey just 10 days ago. Marc-Andre Fleury will get the start in net as the Golden Knights try to complete the season sweep.

“It was a good game in New Jersey where both teams played real well, and I think it’s going to be the same thing tonight,” Gallant said. “It’s going to be two teams playing real good, fast hockey.”

Prediction: Golden Knights 3, Devils 2

Season record for predictions: 34-21

Puck drops: 7 p.m.

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM

TV: AT&T SportsNet (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink Prism 1760)

Betting line: Golden Knights minus-175, Total 5.5 minus-120 to the over

Golden Knights (45-19-5) (24-7-2 home)

Coach: Gerard Gallant

Goal leader: William Karlsson (36)

Assist leader: David Perron (46)

Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (25-9-3, 2.15 goals against average)

New Jersey Devils (35-26-8) (17-12-5 away)

Coach: John Hynes

Goal leader: Taylor Hall (30)

Assist leader: Taylor Hall (44)

Expected goalie: Keith Kinkaid (17-9-2, 2.95 goals against average)

Golden Knights game day roster

Forwards (12): Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ryan Carpenter, Cody Eakin, Erik Haula, Tomas Hyka, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Tomas Nosek, David Perron, Ryan Reaves, Tomas Tatar and Alex Tuch.

Defensemen (6): Deryk Engelland, Brad Hunt, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, Colin Miller and Shea Theodore.

Goalies (2): Marc-Andre Fleury and Maxime Lagace

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