As expected, Knights take care of business in handling Flames, 6-2
Steve Carp
Host · Writer
LAS VEGAS — Over the course of an 84-game NHL season, there are going to be games you hope to win and others you are expected to win.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, Thursday was about the latter.
The Knights, who are in first place in the Pacific Division, hosted Calgary, the last place team which was 1-5 heading into the match at T-Mobile Arena. It’s a game Vegas shouldn’t lose.
It didn’t.
Dominating at times, sloppy at others, the Knights handled the Flames 6-2, getting goals by every means you can — even strength, shorthanded and on the power play along with a natural hat trick in the third period from Mark Stone. It has Ryan Craig’s team off to a 7-2 start and perhaps the only blemish was the fact not a lot of people saw it in person. Attendance was announced at just 16,433, well short of capacity.
Will it be better Saturday when Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are the opponent? Perhaps somewhat better. But this is a long-term issue for management in trying to move inventory and get people in the building during these challenging economic times.
But hey, at least the team is winning, even if it is beating up on a bottom-feeder like the Flames, who will be moving into a new arena next year in Calgary and we’ll see how they do in filling the 18,400-seat Scotia Place.
Brett Howden’s goal 26 seconds into the contest, courtesy of a sweet backhand feed from Mitch Marner, got the Knights going early. Howden’s wrist shot from the left faceoff circle sailed over Dustin Wolf’s shoulder and in as Vegas drew first blood.
Jack Eichel then made it 2-0 as he stole the puck in the neutral zone, walked in and beat Wolf with Brayden McNabb sitting in the penalty box for holding. It was Eichel’s fifth of the season.
“We were ready to play," Craig said. “It was nice to get one early. That got us going. Then the shorthanded goal with Jack making a great play. Nice to get up in that situation and I give our guys credit for being ready to go.”
Stone said: “I think our starts have been pretty solid. It’s a snowball effect where at times we get the first goal and get right back to work and there’s times where we fall behind. It’s just a matter of sticking with the program through its entirety.”
The Flames got their own shorty in the second period when Jacob Middleton beat Carter Hart to cut it to 2-1 after the Knights were careless on the power play and gave up a 2-on-1. But they got it back moments later when Braeden Bowman’s shot from the slot trickled through Wolf’s legs and in for a power play goal and a 3-1 lead.
The Flames have managed just 14 goals in their seven games thus far. When you’re averaging two goals per contest, it’s tough to win. And when Stone made it 4-1 1:06 into the third, it sealed Calgary’s fate on this night. Stone added a second for good measure with 7:50 to play for a 5-1 lead. And he finished off his third-period hatty with a great shot that beat Wolf high to the stick side with 3:47 to play. It also gave Eichel a three-point evening as his goal and two assists gives him five goals and 11 assists for a team-leading 16 points in nine games. He’s two points behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the league lead.
Some nice work by the Vegas forwards on the forecheck and winning battles in the corners and along the boards helped limit Calgary’s offense as Craig rolled his four lines throughout. And with Parker Wotherspoon on IR, it allowed Noah Hanifin to return to the left side of the blue line and the veteran defenseman is obviously much more comfortable there after he began the season playing the right side alongside Jeremy Lauzon. Hanifin is working with Dylan Coghlan as the third D-pairing and No. 15 picked up an assist on Stone’s second goal in the third period.
“I think we were able to get back to our game, the receipt we know is successful,” Bowman said. “Get pucks behind the D and play to our strengths. Forecheck and the offense goes from there.”
It was a game the Knights were expected to win and they took care of their business. A sterner test awaits Saturday when Crosby and the Penguins visit following their Friday contest in Denver against the Avalanche. Catching Pittsburgh on the second of a back-to-back certainly won’t hurt the Knights in a game they hope to win but will likely be expected to win.
