Kessel Crushes Old Team, Golden Knights Thump Penguins 5-2

The Vegas Golden Knights (27-12-2, 56 points) put up a three-goal first period and coasted to a 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-13-6, 44 points) in their first game of a seven-game homestand. It was perhaps one of their best games of the season, as they put together a complete game.

Both Jack Eichel and Paul Cotter made their returns from injury, and Eichel scored three points in his first game back; Cotter had two.

It was Pride Knight at The Fortress, with the Golden Knights celebrating inclusivity. They wore special pregame warmup jerseys and auctioned them off.

FIRST PERIOD

• As expected, Paul Cotter and Jack Eichel returned to the Golden Knights lineup. Both had multi-point games.
• This caused a shift in line combinations as Nicolas Roy was put on the first line alongside Eichel and Reilly Smith. Michael Amadio remained with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone. Adin Hill got the start in goal.
• 1-0 GOAL- Former Pittsburgh Penguin Phil Kessel naturally scored against his former team. William Karlsson forechecked hard and got the puck to Paul Cotter, who whiffed on a shot attempt. The puck slid over to Kessel, who capitalized on the open net.

• The Penguins thought they had scored on the next shift of the game, but the goal was waved off for the play coming after an icing.
• Adin Hill made a couple of sharp-angle saves on Sidney Crosby, one being so hard that it knocked his helmet off. 
• 2-0 VGK GOAL- Off the rush, Nicolas Roy found Jack Eichel wide open, who scored on a mini-breakaway in his first game back.

• Phil Kessel tried to stuff in a puck from behind the net, and Paul Cotter tried to bang in a rebound as well. Casey DeSmith stood tall.
• Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust had a chance on a two-on-one, but Michael Amadio made a nice stick check on the backcheck.
• Jack Eichel found Nicolas Roy for a chance in the slot, but he was stopped in front by Casey DeSmith.
• VGK PP- On that same play, Jake Guentzel took a slashing penalty.
• 3-0 VGK GOAL- The Golden Knight's powerplay made some slick passing plays, and Chandler Stephenson finished it off with a goal.

• In pretty much every area of the game, the Golden Knights dominated in the first period and led by three after 20.

SECOND PERIOD

• Looking to respond, the Penguins had a lot more tempo to their game in the second period, outshooting the VGK 20-9.
• Adin Hill was sharp at the start of the second period, making a couple of nice saves on Marcus Pettersson.
• Paul Cotter and Phil Kessel went off on a two-on-one. Cotter took the shot but was denied by Casey DeSmith.
• The Golden Knights had their moments where they played sloppy defensively with turnovers, but Adin Hill made the stops.
• PIT PP- Phil Kessel's leg tripped Brian Dumoulin, and he was promptly called for tripping.
• Evgeni Malkin ripped a one-timer on the powerplay but hit the post. The Golden Knights were able to kill.
• The Penguins tried to jam in a goal with a mad scramble in front of Adin Hill, but the Golden Knights cleared.
• The third line of Phil Kessel, Paul Cotter, and William Karlsson put together a good offensive zone shift.
• 4-0 VGK GOAL- Just as it seemed as if the Penguins would start chipping away at the lead, Mark Stone scored with 9.8 left in the second.

THIRD PERIOD

• 4-1 PIT GOAL- Ty Smith scored his first goal of the season to end Adin Hill's shutout bid.
• A nice pass from Jack Eichel was made to Reilly Smith off the rush; he danced to the net for a chance but missed his shot.
• Play opened up after the Smith goal with several Golden Knights chances from multiple lines.
• Adin Hill made a huge save on Bryan Rust in the slot. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel were able to get the puck to him.
• PIT PP- Jack Eichel was called for high sticking.
• Jake Guentzel fanned on a Grade-A rebound chance on the powerplay. Alex Pietrangelo made a good defensive play to keep him at bay.
• 5-1 VGK GOAL- Phil Kessel and Paul Cotter went off on a 2-on-1. Kessel fed Cotter for the goal.

• PIT PP- The Penguins got their third powerplay of the game, with Reilly Smith being called for a hook.
• Confident in a win, the Golden Knights fans started doing the wave at the end of the game.
• 5-2 PIT GOAL- Rickard Rakell threw a puck to the net, and Sidney Crosby jammed it in.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES

• Jack Eichel made his glorious return to the Golden Knights lineup scoring three points in 17:34 TOI. He was left open on a rush to the net and easily scored six-hole on Casey DeSmith for his goal. He was a menace on the powerplay with quick passes and heads-up plays as well.
• The Golden Knights continued to be dominant in the first period but struggled in the second.
• Adin Hill played perhaps his best game as a Golden Knight with 38 saves. He was crucial in preventing a Penguins comeback in the second period with 20 saves in the period alone. This was Hill's first start in a while, as All-Star Logan Thompson had started the last four.
• Moved to the top line with Reilly Smith and Jack Eichel, Nicolas Roy played great. His size and forechecking ability meshed well with his linemates, and he finished the night with an assist and over 16 minutes of ice time.
• The Golden Knights have been looking for an identity on their third line all season. The line of William Karlsson, Paul Cotter, and Phil Kessel put together a strong game Thursday night, scoring multiple goals.

VHN's Player of the Game: Adin Hill

No shutout, but 38 saves, including 20 in the second period alone, give Hill the POTD honors.

Up Next: The Golden Knights will continue their extensive homestand on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings at 7:00 p.m.