7 Observations: Golden Knights Finish Strong; Win Season Finale

The Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-10) ended the regular season with one goal: don’t get injured. They accomplished that and escaped the Vancouver Canucks (38-30-14) unscathed with a 4-1 win.

Unsurprisingly, this game lacked a degree of competitiveness. It was a meaningless game 82 for both teams– the Canucks were eliminated from playoff contention a week ago, and the Golden Knights already locked up the Pacific Division. It seemed like they were skating through mud, and time seemed to move in slow motion. 

The Canucks struck first 8:23 into the first period. Conor Garland flung a shot into the crest on Akira Schmid’s jersey. Unimpeded at the top of the crease, Pius Suter chipped in the rebound.

The Golden Knights pulled even with 1:27 remaining in the second period. William Karlsson backhanded a pass to Victor Olofsson, who unleashed a one-time blast from the left circle that beat Kevin Lankinen top-shelf. 

The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night 7:59 into the third period. Ben Hutton threaded a stretch pass to Victor Olofsson, who sent it to Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev drifted down to the left dot and wristed a shot that beat Nikita Tolopido far side. 

The Golden Knights extended their lead less than three minutes later. Jack Eichel entered the zone with the puck, left it for Brett Howden, and drifted towards the net. He won a battle in front of the net, got positioning on Filip Hronek, and redirected Ben Hutton’s shot past Nikita Tolopido. 

The Canucks pulled Tolopido for the extra attacker but struggled to sustain an offensive push. With 1:32 remaining in the third period, Cole Schwindt hit the empty net for his first NHL goal.

Three stars of the game: Victor Olofsson, Quinn Hughes, Pavel Dorofeyev

7 Golden Knights Observations

1. Alex Pietrangelo appeared to be in pain on the bench towards the end of the first period. That’s the last thing you want in a meaningless game 82. Thankfully, he didn’t miss a shift. Next up: playoffs. I’m sure the league will release the full postseason schedule someday.

2. The big story was Jack Eichel slotting in after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury. It’s admittedly not a high bar, but he was far and away the most noticeable player on the ice on Wednesday. I think he’s ready for the playoffs.

3. Pavel Dorofeyev is a 35-goalscorer. What a player he’s become. Just last season, Dorofeyev struggled to stay in the lineup full-time. This season, he led the Golden Knights in goals. Not bad for a home-grown third-round draft pick.

4. I’m not sure which forward comes out of the lineup for Game 1, but it shouldn’t be Victor Olofsson. He’s never skated in a postseason game before, but I’d be shocked if he didn’t draw into the lineup.

5. Adin Hill will be the starting goaltender in the playoffs, but Akira Schmid should probably be the backup if anything happens to him. Ilya Samsonov can put together a solid performance, but he’s very streaky and prone to giving up leaky goals. 

6. Shea Theodore had two assists on Wednesday, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to record 50 in a single season.

7. The Golden Knights became the fifth team to record 50 wins this season. It’s the third time they’ve hit that mark in franchise history. The other two times, they went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

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