VGK Analysis: Shutout! Schmid, Golden Knights Blank Red Wings

On Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights (7-2-3) played the second of a six-game homestand against the Detroit Red Wings (9-4-0). Reinforcements arrived in the form of Noah Hanifin and Colton Sissons, and they put together their best defensive effort of the season. They allowed just 24 shots in a 1-0 victory.

There was a slow, drowsy feeling to the first few minutes of the first period. The Golden Knights seemed to have a case of the Mondays and allowed the Red Wings easy access through the neutral zone. They struggled to connect passes and fired shots that went well wide of the net. 

Fortunately for the Golden Knights, the Red Wings were the exact same way. This time, their slow start didn’t come back to haunt them. 

Both teams found their footing as the period progressed. The Golden Knights tightened up the neutral zone and allowed fewer chances off the rush. 

Zach Whitecloud tripped Jonatan Berggren at 10:23 in the first period, putting the Red Wings on the power play. The Golden Knights’ penalty killers came through and didn’t allow the Red Wings even one shot on goal. Reilly Smith drew a penalty, but the Golden Knights didn’t do anything with their abbreviated power play. 

The Golden Knights were the better team for most of the first period. They outshot the Red Wings 14-9 and generated 11 high-danger chances to Detroit’s five. 

The Golden Knights continued their strong play in the second period. They allowed the Red Wings just one high-danger scoring chance and generated eight of their own. The Golden Knights outshot the Red Wings 9-5, and Akira Schmid was sharp when called upon. 

The Golden Knights broke the ice at 13:45 in the second period. Brandon Saad batted down Jeremy Lauzon’s blast from the point, corralled the puck, and flung a shot on net. John Gibson couldn’t control the shot, and Ivan Barbashev chipped in the rebound.

For the rest of the game, the Golden Knights were the better team in every way. They were the more physical team and out-hit the Red Wings 21-10. They won the special teams battle and dominated the face-off circle.

The Red Wings tried to mount a push in the third period, but their efforts came up short. The Golden Knights controlled the neutral zone and outshot the Red Wings 11-10. 

The Red Wings pulled John Gibson for the extra attacker, but couldn’t solve Akira Schmid. The Golden Knights stood strong defensively and held on for a 1-0 win.

Three stars of the game: Akira Schmid, Ivan Barbashev, Brandon Saad

7 Golden Knights Observations

1. Noah Hanifin returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with an injury, and did so without missing a beat. He was everywhere. Hanifin played 22:40– 1:19 shorthanded– and was just very steady.

2. The Golden Knights started the game with Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith skating together as the third line. Defensively, that line is solid. Offensively, however… there’s not much there. They’ve struggled to generate chances, and have scored zero goals at 5-on-5.

3. Bruce Cassidy never shies away from putting his lines in a blender. Tonight, he made one big change– he swapped Jack Eichel and William Karlsson. For Eichel, the result was immediate. His new line scored very quickly, and looked dangerous for the rest of the game. Karlsson’s results were less positive. 

4. Even before the Eichel-Karlsson swap, Brandon Saad played like a man possessed. He was flying and using his speed to create chances off the rush. He’s still searching for his first goal of the season, but it’s not without trying– Saad led the team with seven shots on net. Zach Whitecloud was a little too unselfish with the net empty and tried to force a play to Saad to get him off the schnide, but to no avail.

5. For just the third time this year, the Golden Knights scored the first goal of the game. They are now 3-0-0 when scoring first.

6. How good was Akira Schmid tonight? Granted, the Golden Knights were very solid defensively, and didn’t ask him to do too much. But Schmid was rock solid when called upon and finished the game with a 2.32 GSAx. He stopped all 24 shots he faced for the second shutout of his career and his first as a Golden Knight.

7. Here’s something that might fly under the radar in a 1-0 game: Tomáš Hertl won 15 of 16 draws. He’s been fantastic in the face-off dot this season; after tonight, he’s sporting a career-high 62.0%.