VGK Breakdowns: Panthers Hand Golden Knights 1st Regulation Loss

On Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-2) took on the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers (5-5-0). After four days off, the Golden Knights looked rusty and never found their footing. The Panthers completely took over the game in the second period and cruised to a 3-0 victory.

The Golden Knights never managed to drag themselves into the fight. Despite an early power play, they didn’t record their first shot on goal until 5:43 into the first period. They ultimately outshot the Panthers 7-5 in the first, but trailed by one heading into intermission.

The Panthers broke the ice at 17:19 in the first period. After a strong shift from the Jack Eichel line, the Panthers went the other way and scored. Carter Verhaeghe sprung Sam Reinhart, who blew past Kaedan Korczak and beat Akira Schmid glove side.

It was all Panthers in the second period. They outshot the Golden Knights 12-5, with three of those five shots coming in the final two minutes of the period. 

The Panthers didn’t score on either of their power play opportunities in the second, but they generated momentum from both. After their second opportunity, they hemmed the Golden Knights into their zone for 1:20, forcing Akira Schmid to make several impressive saves. 

The Panthers completely took over the game in the third period. They came in waves and outshot the Golden Knights 9-5.

The Panthers doubled their lead 3:29 into the third period. Jonah Gadjovich knocked Zach Whitecloud off the puck and set up AJ Greer in front of the net. Schmid made the save on Greer and another on Gadjovich, but Cole Schwindt potted the rebound.

The Panthers added to their lead halfway through the third period. Brad Marchand floated a wrister on net from the point. Akira Schmid made the save, but the puck bounced right to AJ Greer, who scored on a wraparound.

The Golden Knights had a power play opportunity with 5:23 remaining in the third period, but did nothing with it. They struggled to establish the zone and didn’t manage one shot on goal. Brett Howden took a high-sticking penalty at 17:09 in the third, effectively ending the game.

Three stars of the game: Sam Reinhart, AJ Greer, Sergei Bobrovsky

7 Golden Knights Observations

1. Bruce Cassidy reunited Mitch Marner with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev to start the third period. It didn’t have the desired effect. The Saad–Eichel–Barbashev line outshot their opponents 6-2 and controlled 62% of the Corsi. In contrast, the Barbashev–Eichel–Marner line was outshot 2-1 and controlled just 14% of the Corsi.

2. Cole Schwindt drew into the Panthers’ lineup for the first time this season. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the Golden Knights placed him on waivers earlier this month. Schwindt got the last laugh and came back to haunt his former team.

3. The Golden Knights statistically have a top-five power play in the league. However, it looks meek and nonthreatening without Mark Stone. They struggle to enter the zone; when there, they can’t get set up. They’re 0-for-5 in two games without their captain.

4. This was Akira Schmid’s first regulation loss as a Golden Knight. He played quite well, making big saves and finishing with a positive GSAx. Unfortunately, the team squandered it with their inability to generate any offense.

5. The fourth line really struggled tonight. They were outshot 8-2, controlled just 30% of the Corsi, and were a -2. 

6. Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout snapped several Golden Knights’ point streaks. Jack Eichel’s ends at seven games; Mitch Marner’s and Ivan Barbashev’s ends at four.

7. All the injuries are starting to catch up with the Golden Knights. Losing Noah Hanifin puts more pressure on Zach Whitecloud by elevating Ben Hutton into a top-four role, and it keeps Jeremy Lauzon in the lineup. Both pairings struggled today.