Vegas Golden Knights center Mattias Janmark (26) celebrates with his team after scoring against the New York Rangers during the second period of an NHL Hockey game at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.
Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 | 11:12 p.m.
When the Golden Knights are playing their best, games look a lot like they did Thursday night.
Vegas went toe-to-toe with the New York Rangers in the first period, and once it adjusted to Rangers’ defense, took control of the action.
The Golden Knights scored with ease on their rush chances, using four transition goals to roll to a 5-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena.
“Some nights they’re going to come more often than others, but tonight it was just one of those nights where we just had to cash in off the rush and be good that way,” forward Jonathan Marchessault said. “Tonight it happens to be that way, and some other nights I think we can be successful doing it as well.”
The trademark of the Golden Knights’ offense has been the rush, when their quick-handed defensemen get the puck to their fast group of forwards for goal-scoring chances in transition.
The Golden Knights scored on a Marchessault power-play tally in the first period, then scored the next four goals in transition — all at 5-on-5 — in transition. Mark Stone and Mattias Janmark scored in the second, then Brett Howden scored in the third and Marchessault netted his second.
“That’s been something that this group has done well since Day 1,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think for us we’re trying to add other layers to our offensive game, but it starts with us being able to play fast through the neutral zone.”
The first period was a bit of a stalemate, as neither side conceded much in the neutral zone, leading to a lot of dump-ins and a stretch of more than four minutes where neither side had a shot on goal.
The one score came from the power play, when Marchessault crashed the crease to clean up a rebound.
In the second, things opened up. Vegas used both the boards and the middle of the ice to exit the zone with speed, which led to a variety of goals, including Stone and Evgenii Dadonov passing back and forth before it went off Stone’s skate and into the goal.
It was a similar story in the third. Howden took a drop pass from Nolan Patrick after both entered the zone to create a look, then Marchessault kept it himself on a 2-on-1 and fired it into the net.
“After the first we talked about playing quicker,” Howden said. “I think in the second and third it really helped us out, kind of pushed them back a little bit. I think we found a groove after that.”
For all the hype of the returns of Gerard Gallant and Ryan Reaves to T-Mobile Arena — and both were acknowledged with tribute videos — it was Howden who had best revenge game, for the second time this year.
He scored when the Golden Knights visited Madison Square Garden last month, and has two goals, or half his season total, in the two games against New York since he was traded in the offseason.
“It’s kind of unique and different and a little fun I guess playing against your old team, your old buddies,” Howden said. “Yeah, it was pretty fun tonight.”
Equally as impressive as scoring as much as they did was the way the Golden Knights didn’t concede much either. Because when a team is rushing down the ice, it leaves them vulnerable to counter strikes if they’re not careful.
Instead the Golden Knights held the Rangers to just 19 shots on goal. Even in the third period with New York needing a pair of goals, Vegas gave up just four shots on goal.
“When we’re defending well we’re a really hard team to play against,” DeBoer said. “There was a big commitment tonight to defend well against a real good team.”
