David Becker / Associated Press
The Vegas Golden Knights celebrate a goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Las Vegas.
Published Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 | 9:49 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 | 12:49 a.m.
Despite returning home from a grueling road trip that concluded with games against three of the NHL’s top four teams, the Golden Knights showed little signs of fatigue on Tuesday night.
Vegas cruised to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at T-Mobile Arena to put a bold exclamation on the first half of the season. The win moved the Golden Knights (27-16-3) two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks for first place in the Pacific Division.
Vegas coach Pete DeBoer warned against coasting into the all-star break going into the game, and his players appeared to heed his advice with a goal 33 seconds into the game. They never looked back from there.
“Human nature is probably to take your foot off the gas a little,” DeBoer said in his pregame media availability. “We want to go into this break feeling good about ourselves and making sure that the work we put in the last 10 days of that trip was worthwhile.”
Reilly Smith got Vegas started with his 12th goal of the season off a pass William Karlsson laced through traffic. The Golden Knights continued to dominate puck possession from there.
They scored in the opening two minutes of each period.
“Our game plan was to use our rush and our speed and put them on their heels,” Smith said. “I feel like Buffalo played a pretty wide-open game, so they enabled us to get a lot of odd-man rushes.”
Fourth-liner Brett Howden kept up his recent hot streak with his third goal in three games to put the Golden Knights up 2-0. He recovered a loose puck and fired it from the slot with 1:41 remaining in the first period for his seventh goal of the season.
Howden later added an assist, his ninth of the year, on a short-handed goal from Keegan Kolesar at 4:27 in the second period.
Howden is nearing his previous career highs in goals (9) and assists (17), both set while he played for the New York Rangers, in his first season with the Golden Knights.
“Howie’s growth has been fantastic in my eyes,” DeBoer said. “You know, he came in and any young guy that gets traded, you come in and you’re trying to feel your way and get used to things. And I think he played that way early, and as he’s got more comfortable, I think you’re seeing what he’s really capable of.”
Jonathan Marchessault added his team-high 20th goal 1:31 into the second period on the power play, and Mark Stone added his eighth goal 1:14 into the third to make it 5-1.
Vegas overpowered Buffalo in every situation, just like it was supposed to.
“Mentally we were not as sharp and it manifested physically,” Sabres coach Dan Granato said. “It just took us too long to snap into it. In each period and throughout the game, we could never consistently do what we do when we’re going.”
Welcome Back
Alex Tuch had a memorable night in his first game back in Las Vegas since being traded to Buffalo in November as one of the centerpieces in the deal for injured star forward Jack Eichel.
The 25-year-old, expansion-drafted Golden Knight scored the Sabres’ first goal 16 minutes into the second period when he sniped a wrister past goaltender Robin Lehner from the right circle.
“You forget how dynamic a player he is, how fast he is and how skilled he is,” DeBoer said of Tuch. “I think (Buffalo) is a real good fit for him. He’s played a lot. He’s played in every situation. He’s a No. 1 guy there, where here he wasn’t going to get that opportunity. I’m just happy for him and it’s good to see.”
Granato started Tuch alongside fellow former Golden Knights Cody Eakin and Peyton Krebs in a nod to the trio’s time in Las Vegas. All three also received a tribute video during a timeout.
“That was pretty special,” Tuch said. “It was very nice that they did that. It meant a lot. My girlfriend’s in town, my dad is in town, came to the game and stuff. So I’m sure they liked that and they really enjoyed that, and so did I and so did the other guys.
“Vegas gave me a lot, and this is just another thing to add on the list.”
Krebs was also a part of the Eichel trade while Eakin landed in Buffalo after spending a year in Winnipeg, where Vegas traded him last year for a conditional NHL Draft pick.
Up Next
The Golden Knights get a week off as all-star festivities commence in Las Vegas through the weekend. They return to action on Feb. 8 in Edmonton against the Oilers, a much-needed break for a team that continues to be hit hard by both the pandemic and injuries.
Defenseman Dylan Coghlan and center Chandler Stephenson remain in the COVID-19 protocol with Eichel (neck surgery), defenseman Alec Martinez (facial laceration), defenseman Zach Whitecloud (undisclosed) and center Adam Brooks (undisclosed) all also out.
They could all return immediately after the All-Star break or soon after, according to DeBoer.
“I think we’re excited about recharging,” DeBoer said. “We’re excited about, hopefully, getting some guys back here that have been with the injured group for a while in the near future. And we’re really going to try and build on top of that.”
