Golden Knights solidify standing as Pacific’s top team with OT win over Oilers

By Justin Emerson

Monday, March 9, 2020 | 9:25 p.m.

This one looked like it might slip away. The Golden Knights were the better team in Monday's 3-2 overtime victory, no question about that. But all of their puck possession and shot attempts weren’t turning into goals, and the Edmonton Oilers stuck around just long enough to grab a third-period lead.

The Golden Knights didn’t fold. They kept the pressure on, and Jonathan Marchessault finally broke the dam with 8:03 left in regulation. Then Shea Theodore’s blast in overtime lifted Vegas to victory over the second-place Oilers at Rogers Place.

With the victory, Vegas retains its lead in the Pacific Division with 86 points. The Oilers are second with 83 points, but they have 12 games remaining in their season to Vegas' 11 remaining games.

The Oilers scored first Monday, nine minutes into the game. Vegas answered by not allowing another shot on goal for more than 18 minutes. Nicolas Roy tied the game with on a Vegas power play later in the first period, and then neither scored again until Edmonton jumped ahead at the 6:46 mark of the third. Marchessault tied the game late before Theodore won it.

Vegas doubled up the Oilers in shots on goal, 48-24. The Golden Knights outshot the Oilers by a whopping 15-3 in the first period.

Here are three takeaways from the win.

Theodore wins it again

It was the second game-winning goal in as many nights for Theodore, who scored the go-ahead goal Sunday in Calgary. His overtime tally Monday gave him a career-high 13 goals on the season, a franchise record for a defenseman.

He’s taken the next step in his development from promising prospect to solid NHL player to a potentially elite defenseman. He’s blown by his career-bests in assists. He’s been more responsible in his own end this year, morphing him into one of Vegas’ best all-around players.

When he was on the ice against Edmonton at 5-on-5, the Golden Knights generated 30 shot attempts, second-most only to his defensive partner Alec Martinez.

Marchessault busting slumps

Sometimes all it takes to get off the schneid is a goal without a goalie. Marchessault scored an empty netter Sunday against the Flames to break a 10-game goal drought, then followed it up with the game-tying goal against the Oilers.

Monday's effort wasn’t a perfect goal — Marchessault called it a “change-up” that seemed to only catch a portion of his stick — but he took a Reilly Smith pass and floated it over goalie Mikko Koskinen’s right shoulder and into the net. It was Marchessault's 22nd goal of the season and 46th point.

“I don’t get in big slumps often like that, so it’s definitely hard,” Marchessault said to AT&T SportsNet. “Today was just a game that I was making better plays."

Roy continues hot streak

Roy had been playing good enough for the Golden Knights that they decided to see what he could do in the top six. He was elevated to the right-wing spot alongside Max Pacioretty and William Karlsson after Mark Stone's injury, and the results have been terrific.

Roy has looked like Vegas’ best player at times over the last week, generating five shots on goal Friday and four on Sunday after never having more than three in a game prior. He added four on Monday.

He also scored Vegas’ first goal, capitalizing with a deflection on the power play. Before Monday, Roy had seen just 1:42 of power-play time this season. With Chandler Stephenson a late scratch for undisclosed reasons, Roy jumped in and immediately contributed for his fourth of the season.