7 Observations: Eichel Fuels Golden Knights Comeback Against Flames

After dropping two of their first three games, the Vegas Golden Knights (2-0-2) needed to right the ship. They started poorly, but erased a multi-goal deficit and took the lead in the third period. They locked it down defensively and held on for a 4-2 final.

In the first period, the Golden Knights looked disjointed and out of sorts. They allowed the Flames to speed through the neutral zone, and their forecheck struggled in the defensive zone. They gave up a breakaway to Blake Coleman 20 seconds into the game, but Adin Hill made the save. 

The Flames broke the ice at 7:32 in the first period after a Golden Knights defensive zone turnover. Mackenzie Weegar fooled the defense with a fake shot-pass, and Mikael Backlund one-timed the puck past a diving Adin Hill. 

Five minutes later, the Flames added to their lead. Ivan Barbashev coughed the puck up to Blake Coleman, who picked his corner and scored.

The Golden Knights looked better in the second period. They still didn’t look great, but they avoided the glaring errors they committed in the first period. 

Halfway through the second period, the Golden Knights finally solved Dustin Wolf and got on the board. Jack Eichel chose to shoot on a 2-on-1, then went to the net and stuffed in his own rebound. 

The Golden Knights came alive in the third period and finally looked like the team they’ve been trying to be. They tied the game after some impressive forechecking by Mitch Marner and Tomáš Hertl. The puck took a bounce off Hertl’s skate and floated out through the slot; Kaedan Korczak activated and slammed a blast past Dustin Wolf.

Two minutes later, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night on their next shot on goal. Jack Eichel did it himself, powering past Daniil Miromanov and Mackenzie Weegar and stuffing the puck past Wolf.

The Golden Knights shut the Flames down for the rest of the third period. The Flames pulled Dustin Wolf for the extra attacker, but Tomáš Hertl hit the empty net.

7 Golden Knights Observations

1. Cole Reinhardt made his Golden Knights debut in front of his hometown. He said he had about 20 friends and family members in attendance watching him. Reinhardt played 9:22 and recorded three hits.

2. Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury during the first period and didn’t return to start the second. It’s been confirmed as a lower-body injury. 

3. Akira Schmid started the second in relief. Despite coming in ice cold, Schmid stopped all 19 shots he faced. According to moneypuck.com, Schmid saved 1.68 goals above expected.

4. What a second half of the game for Jack Eichel. He and his line were very poor in the first period, but they absolutely turned it around. Eichel scored twice, both as a result of going to the net. He leads the league with nine points (4G, 5A) through four games this season.

5. For the first time this season, the Golden Knights played well at 5-on-5. All three of their goals (other than Hertl’s empty-netter) came at even strength. Eichel’s two goals came off the rush, and Korczak’s tally was a result of good forechecking.

6. Tonight was Mitch Marner’s second multi-assist game in a Golden Knights uniform. His slap-pass to Tomáš Hertl for the empty net dagger was a thing of beauty. 

7. For the first time all season, the Golden Knights avoided going to overtime. The Flames pulled Dustin Wolf for the extra attacker, and the Golden Knights gave them nothing.