Connect with us

Vegas Golden Knights

Chicago Comeback! Evgenii Dadonov Completes Golden Knights Historic Game

Published

on

Evgenii Dadonov Vegas Golden Knights (Photo- Vegas Golden Knights via Twitter)

For the first time in team history, the Vegas Golden Knights (36-28-4, 76 points) rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the third period and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks (24-32-10, 58 points) in overtime 5-4. The Golden Knights are now 1-57-0 all-time when trailing by three or more goals when entering the third.

Who else but Evgenii Dadonov scored the overtime game-winning goal to give the Golden Knights a much-needed extra point in the standings. Let’s recap how we got here. It was one eventful game.

Both Zach Whitecloud and Michael Amadio returned to the Golden Knights lineup after missing the last three games in COVID-19 protocols. Brett Howden and Nolan Patrick, who both left Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators, were out for the VGK. William Carrier also left the game in the third.

But Alec Martinez finally returned to the lineup after being out since November 11th where he took a skate to the face. The Golden Knights were able to activate Martinez as Reilly Smith (knee) has been placed on LTIR.

The Blackhawks entered the game just trading away two major pieces of their lineup at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Emerging goal scorer Brandon Hagel and former Golden Knight Marc-Andre Fleury were traded at the deadline. But this did not affect the Blackhawks’ start to the game.

Jonathan Toews won a faceoff and the Blackhawks gained possession in the offensive zone and eventually scored. Dominik Kubalik fired a shot from the high slot which hit Shea Theodore and went in. It was the first goal in 21 games for the struggling Kubalik.

Man-on-man coverage was a big issue with the Golden Knights in the first two periods as they left some of the Blackhawks’ best players unattended to with Toews, Kubalik, and Patrick Kane.

Another issue the Golden Knights had was putting the puck on the net as both William Karlsson and Nicolas Roy shanked on grade-A chances and wide-open nets. The VGK finished the first period with just two shots in the final 11 minutes of the frame.

A penalty festival opened up in the second period with both teams trading powerplays which later turned into some four-on-four play. After the penalties expired, Alex DeBrincat slipped Toews a puck on a platter and he scored right at the doorstep to make it 2-0.

The bleeding didn’t stop there though as Dylan Strome scored before the second period ended. After stopping a shot from Caleb Jones, Thompson left a big rebound for Strome who scored his 19th.

With another loss in the picture and the playoffs fading, the Golden Knights took to intermission and screwed their heads on straight. Whatever was said in the locker room lit a fire underneath the VGK and they came out in the third period ready to make a glorious comeback.

Right off the bat, the Golden Knights got the ball rolling with Chandler Stephenson scoring as he simply fired a shot six-hole on Kevin Lankinen off the rush.

Less than a minute later the Golden Knights made it a one-goal game with Karlsson tipping home a slow wrist shot from Dylan Coghlan. Blackhawks head coach Derek King called a timeout to try and stop the bleeding but the Golden Knights could not be stopped.

Jack Eichel tied the game with a slick move to the net as the Blackhawks lost him for just enough time and Eichel made it count. Three goals in 2:52 seconds tied the game for the Vegas Golden Knights and T-Mobile Arena was rocking on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Thompson kept the VGK in the game with a huge pad save on DeBrincat but “The Cat” would come back and get his revenge, scoring his 37th goal of the season. DeBrincat found just enough room past Thompson and sniped home a shot to B put the Blackhawks back on top.

But the Golden Knights didn’t break and came back to tie the game once more just 53 seconds after DeBrincat’s goal. Alex Pietrangelo simply threw a puck at the net and with tons of bodies in front, it found its way to the back of the net.

Overtime was required and who else but Dadonov scored to win the game for the Golden Knights. He now has seven goals in his last nine games and four points since being “traded.” This improved the team’s overtime record to 7-4 this season, but more importantly, gives them a much-needed two points in the standings.

They will look to build off these two wins as they play 10 non-playoff teams in the last 15 games of the season. The Golden Knights will have three days of rest before they play the Seattle Kraken Wednesday.