Ellen Schmidt / AP
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb, center Jack Eichel and goaltender Adin Hill (33) gather to celebrate after the team’s shootout win in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Published Friday, March 3, 2023 | 9:49 p.m.
Updated Friday, March 3, 2023 | 11:17 p.m.
Less than 48 hours after one of their most complete performances of the season, Bruce Cassidy didn't think his group was prepared this time around against another one of the NHL's best teams.
His goalie, however, came prepared.
"Adin sure was," Cassidy said.
In a period of unrest and uncertainty involving the goaltending position, Adin Hill delivered once again when needed. The Vegas goalie made a career-high 46 saves, eight of them in overtime, and carried the Golden Knights to a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils at T-Mobile Arena on Friday.
"I felt good out there," Hill said. "I felt like I was making good reads and seeing the puck well."
That would be an understatement.
The Golden Knights have not been short on stellar goalie performances. Logan Thompson had his share of quality starts, including the two in New Jersey and on Long Island before the All-Star break. Even as recent as a week ago, Laurent Brossoit's 41-save performance against the Dallas Stars — aided by a save-of-the-year candidate — was up there on the 'wow' factor.
What Hill did Friday, given the opponent, might have been the best performance.
The Devils are one of the top teams in the league. It's a young team, coming off a lottery-bound 2022 campaign, that is still finding ways to shock the hockey world.
Management is going all-in with this Devils team after acquiring former San Jose forward Timo Meier prior to the league's trade deadline. Meier didn't play, but the Devils weren't short on star power with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton, to name a few.
New Jersey's offense is a buzzsaw. They put 96 shot attempts on Hill with 49 going his direction. According to Natural Stat Trick, he saw 29 high-danger chances.
And yet, he stood tall.
"I felt like I had a good game," said a modest Hill, followed by a hearty laugh from the media contingent gathered by his locker. "We got the win, that’s all that matters."
Hill didn't see as much action against Carolina as he did Friday, but it's still as impressive. The questions surrounding the Golden Knights' goalie situation with 20 games remaining in the regular season are heightened more than ever. It's Hill's crease at the moment, and now Jonathan Quick is the backup with injuries to Thompson and Brossoit with no immediate answer on a return for either.
When Hill sustained a minor injury two weeks ago, leading to Brossoit taking the crease, there were rumblings that Brossoit might take over the starter's net the rest of the way because of his play through three starts (1-0-2, .936 SV%, 2.20 GAA).
Hill returned Monday against Colorado and had a great 31-save outing against the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, but didn't get the offensive help in a 3-0 loss in Denver.
Following that with wins over two of the league's top teams is a loud statement.
"Those are two pretty good teams, I think. He gave us a chance to win on both nights, and we were able to get the two points," said forward Jonathan Marchessault. "It’s one of those things that I’m just super happy for my teammate."
Marchessault scored twice and had an assist, and Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (37-19-6), who have earned points in 10 of their last 11 games since coming out of the All-Star break (8-1-2).
Marchessault ended a 13-game goal drought with two goals Feb. 18 against Tampa Bay, then went the next five games without finding the back of the net before scoring his 18th and 19th goals of the season Friday.
His first goal was his 400th point in the NHL.
"At that time of the year, it’s the veteran guys that got to go. We’ve got to rise up to the occasion," Marchessault said. "Some nights, it’s going to be one guy, others it’s going to be another guy. It just happened tonight that I played a good hockey game."
Eichel, who went into the break with just one point in nine games, has 13 points in 11 games since Feb. 7 with eight goals in that stretch.
Offense as a whole has also returned for the Golden Knights since the bye week by scoring three goals seven times in 11 games.
On this night in particular, Hill kept the game close long enough to allow the offense to get going. New Jersey dominated in terms of possession and the shot counter throughout the night. When it mattered most, Hill came through in overtime and also stopped all four attempts in the shootout.
He could get a rest on Sunday against Montreal, where Quick could make his first Vegas start since the Los Angeles Kings traded the two-time Stanley Cup champion to Columbus, then rerouted to Vegas on Thursday.
If Hill does get that rest, he's certainly earned it.
"He was really on tonight and full value," Cassidy said. "We needed it."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
