Amidst Trade Deadline Chaos, Golden Knights Shutout 3-0 By Wild

It has been a very eventful day for every team in the NHL with the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline today. But for the Vegas Golden Knights, it has been extra crazy.

The Golden Knights have had their trade with the Anaheim Ducks regarding Evgenii Dadonov held up by the NHL which is currently being worked out by general manager Kelly McCrimmon. Stay tuned for updates.

The Golden Knights (34-27-4, 72 points) also had a game Monday against the Minnesota Wild (37-20-4, 78 points) where they lost 3-0. The craziness of the NHL trade deadline was evident as Marc-Andre Fleury was on the opposing bench for the Wild, as he was traded to the team earlier in the day.

To say that the Golden Knights were operating with a depleted roster Monday night would be an undertstatement. Derrick Pouliot was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Kraken, and Zach Whitecloud Michael Amadio, and assistant coach Ryan McGill were placed in COVID-19 protocols.

Jake Leschyshyn, Jonas Rondbjerg, Brayden Pachal, and Zack Hayes all were in the lineup for the Golden Knights with Hayes making his NHL debut. Paul Cotter and Daniil Miromanov were also recalled. Logan Thompson started his third-straight game as well.

The impact of the Trade Deadline shadowed over this game with the first goal scored by the Wild coming from two newly-acquired players. Tyson Jost shrugged off Pachal and passed the puck to Brandon Duhaine who fed Nicolas Deslauriers in the slot and he scored.

This is Deslauriers first goal as a member of the Minnesota Wild and second straight goal against the Golden Knights as he scored back when he was with the Anaheim Ducks.

It seemed as if the Golden Knights fell back into the same routine that they had in their 0-5 road trip. They gave up the first goal, took diciplinary penalties with Jonathan Marchessault getting into it with Matt Dumba, and were outshot in the first period 15-6.

In the second period the Golden Knights came out and had some solid offensive chances but Cam Talbot stopped them all. This is the third time the Golden Knights have been shutout this season and the secon shutout of the season for Talbot. There were no notable grade-A chances from the VGK.

The Golden Knights were close to tying things up in shot department but Dumba scored to make the game 2-0 for the Wild. Dumba simply gained the zone and fired a wrist shot that Thompson did not see with six bodies screening him in front of the net.

Thompson went to the bench for the extra attacker with just under three minutes to play but Ryan Hartman scored an empty net goal to put the dagger in the Golden Knights.

With the lineup provided, the Golden Knights simply were outplayed by the Minnesota Wild Monday. They will look to rebound

VHN’s Player of the Game: Logan Thompson

Not really sure who else I could even give this to tonight.