7 Observations: Golden Knights Blown Lead, Recover; Douse Flames

The Vegas Golden Knights (46-22-8) entered Saturday’s game with their lead over the Pacific Division diminished to just one point. They needed a win to hold pace with the Los Angeles Kings; more importantly, they needed a win to cleanse their palettes after a lifeless performance on Thursday at home against the Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights blew a two-goal lead but recovered to beat the Calgary Flames (36-27-13) 3-2 in overtime.

Flames rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf quickly cemented himself as the difference maker. The Golden Knights got their first of 12 high-danger scoring chances less than 20 seconds into the game. William Karlsson raced up ice on a 2-on-1 with Victor Olofsson, but Wolf got a piece of Karlsson’s shot.

The Golden Knights broke the ice at 18:39 in the first period. Shea Theodore broke up a pass intended for Mikael Backlund, and Brandon Saad corralled the puck. He touched it ahead to Pavel Dorofeyev, who entered the zone and left the puck for Theodore. Theodore sent the puck back to Dorofeyev, who drove the net and flipped a backhand past Dustin Wolf far side.

The Golden Knights extended their lead at 9:57 in the second period. Brayden McNabbactivated and fired a shot on goal, but Dustin Wolf kicked it out. Victor Olofsson got to the rebound and sent the puck back to Shea Theodore. Theodore wristed a shot toward the net, and Reilly Smith redirected it past Wolf.  

The Flames responded with less than eight seconds remaining in the second period. Nazem Kadri found Joel Hanley in the slot, who fired a shot past Akira Schmid glove side.

The Golden Knights iced the puck less than a minute into the third period. Mikael Backlund won the face-off cleanly, and Matt Coronato flung a shot past Akira Schmid. 

The Golden Knights mentally recovered from their collapse and played a strong third period. They killed off two penalties, one extremely suspect, to send the game to overtime.

The Golden Knights scored the game-winner with 29 seconds remaining in overtime. Reilly Smith carried the puck behind the goal line and flung it toward the center of the ice. The puck bounced off Mackenzie Weegar’s skate and fluttered behind Dustin Wolf.

Three stars of the game: Dustin Wolf, Shea Theodore, Reilly Smith

7 Golden Knights Observations

1. The Golden Knights’ penalty kill has been a real weakness this season. On Saturday, it may have been their greatest strength. They didn’t give the Flames anything and refused to let momentum swing the other way. I’d venture to say that the Golden Knights had more scoring opportunities shorthanded than the Flames did on the man advantage.

2. It doesn’t matter because the Golden Knights killed it off, but Mark Stone was the victim of yet another atrocious call. At 10:30 in the third period, in a tie game, the officials sent Stone to the box for “elbowing.” To me, this looks like a textbook-perfect stand-up.

3. This is the third consecutive game where Jack Eichel was held off the score sheet. There are six remaining regular season games this season, and Eichel needs seven points to record his first 100-point season. 

4. This game doesn’t even go to overtime without Akira Schmid. Mikael Backlund outmuscled Shea Theodore, stripped him of the puck, and stared down the go-ahead goal with fractions of a second remaining in the third period. It would have counted– Backlund got the shot off in time– but Schmid, making his first start of the season, calmly flashed out the leather and made the save. 

5. Not one lick of overtime was played at 3-on-3. There were 29 seconds remaining on the Golden Knights’ power play to start overtime. Kevin Bahl’s release from the penalty box made it 4-on-4, and there was never a whistle-stoppage. This probably benefitted the Golden Knights, who are now 4-7 in games decided in overtime.

6. What a game for Reilly Smith. He’s been very unlucky in the finishing department since rejoining the Golden Knights; on Saturday, the dam broke. He was buzzing early, hard on the forecheck, and the Hockey Gods rewarded him with a two-goal game and the overtime game-winner. 

“I was just trying to get the puck in front to Brett [Howden]. It took a fortunate bounce,​​” said Smith. “You’re going to get fortunate bounces every now and then, and that’s great for us right now.”

7. This is the third 100-point season the Golden Knights have recorded. Historically, good things happen when they exceed the 100-point mark. In 2018, they went to the Stanley Cup Final after a 109-point season. In 2023, the Golden Knights finished the regular season with 111 points and won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.