Golden Knights Prevail in Sloppy Game Against Canucks

Vegas Golden Knights (44-21-6, 95 points) started their Western Canadian road trip with a win over the Vancouver Canucks (31-34-5, 67 points) 4-3. It was a sloppy one, with the VGK almost blowing a lead and taking multiple penalties, but it was a win for the team nonetheless.

Jonathan Quick earned his 375th career win in the NHL, which makes him the second-most-winningest goaltender in American-born history in the NHL. Logan Thompson was healthy enough to back up Quick, but no other lineup changes were made.

FIRST PERIOD

• 1-0 VGK GOAL- Phil Kessel stripped the puck from defenseman Ethan Bear, went in on Thatcher Demko, and scored on a great individual effort.

• Jack Eichel tried to slip a pass to Ivan Barbashev in front of the net, but Thatcher Demko denied the scoring chance.
• Brett Howden tripped a sharp-angle shot off the rush on Thatcher Demko and then mucked things up in a scrum afterward.
• 2-0 VGK GOAL- William Karlsson and Pavel Dorofeyev put in the work on the forecheck to get the puck to Reilly Smith in the slot, who extended his point streak to nine games.

• VGK PP- Paul Cotter made a drive to the net but got whacked by Tyler Myers, who took a slashing penalty.
• VGK PP- Ethan Bear added another penalty, and the Golden Knights went on a 57-second long 5 on 3 powerplay.
• The Canucks managed to kill off both penalties despite good chances to Pavel Dorofeyev and Ivan Barbashev.
• Brett Howden forechecked up until the whistle and found Michael Amadio in the slot for one last big chance.

SECOND PERIOD

• The Canucks came out in the second period with a push, clearly unhappy with their play in the first period.
• Off the rush, Conor Garland fed Dakota Joshua for a tip on Jonathan Quick, but the save was made.
• VGK PP- Brock Boeser shoved Zach Whitecloud into the boards, taking a boarding penalty and giving the VGK their third powerplay of the game.
• JT Miller went off on a shorthanded breakaway, but Shea Theodore stopped him with a hook. 
• 2-1 VAN GOAL- However, Shea Theodore's whack resulted in a shorthanded penalty shot for JT Miller, which he scored on.
• 3-1 VGK GOAL- The Golden Knights answered with a goal from Teddy Blueger, who found just enough room on Thatcher Demko.

• VAN PP- Pavel Dorofeyev got his stick up in the hands of Quinn Hughes, taking a hooking penalty.
• 4 on 4- Just four seconds into the Canucks' powerplay, Anthony Beauvillier hooked Alec Martinez, making him dangerously collide into the boards.
• 4 on 3- Just a few seconds into the 4 on 4, the Golden Knights took another penalty with Chandler Stephenson hooking Ethan Bear.
• 3-2 VAN GOAL- On the 4 on 3 powerplay, JT Miller scored his second goal of the game to erase the Pavel Dorofeyev penalty off the scoreboard.
• Vitali Kravtsov's pass was blocked by a Golden Knights defenseman, but it came right back to him for a grade-A shot that Jonathan Quick stopped.
• 4-2 VGK GOAL- Pavel Dorofeyev scored yet another goal, re-directing a shot from Alex Pietrangelo.

THIRD PERIOD

• Down two goals, the Canucks came out with a big push on offense, outshooting the VGK 6-0 in the first seven minutes.
• Jonathan Quick made a big glove save on Ethan Bear after a rebound chance in front of the net.
• Ivan Barbashev made a slick play in the neutral zone to steal the puck from Tyler Myers and then feed Jonathan Marchessault, who was rushing to the net.
• 4-3 VAN GOAL- Phil Di Guiseppe made things a one-goal game by scoring on a big rebound that Jonathan Quick gave up.
• The Canucks pulled Thatcher Demko for the extra attacker with roughly three minutes left. 
• VGK PP- Jack Eichel made a huge individual effort to strip the puck from Quinn Hughes and then forced him to take a penalty with 22 seconds remaining in the game. 

GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES

• The Golden Knights are now 9-8-2 against Pacific Division teams this season
• Jonathan Quick won his 375th career NHL game, which now makes him the second-most winningest American-born goalie of all time.
• With another point, Reilly Smith extends his point streak to nine games scoring four goals and seven assists for 11 points.
• Pavel Dorofeyev continues to score goals and how has four goals and two assists for six points in his last five games.
• The Golden Knights allowed their first-ever penalty shot goal Tuesday. They are now 5/6 in stopping penalty shots.
• Elsewhere in the playoff race, the Jets beat the Coyotes, the Predators beat the Sabres, the Flames beat the Ducks, and the Kraken beat the Stars in OT

VHN's Player of the Game: Reilly Smith

Up Next: The Golden Knights will continue their Western Canada road trip on Thursday, playing the Calgary Flames at 6:00 p.m.