Golden Knights Mistakes Cost Them Game One Against Jets

The Vegas Golden Knights (0-1 series) lost their first game of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs 5-1 to the Winnipeg Jets (1-0 series).

The Jets simply took advantage of some bad gaffs by the VGK. William Karlsson was the only Golden Knight to score on Connor Hellebuyck.

Mark Stone and Zach Whitecloud were able to return to the lineup for the Golden Knights. Laurent Brossoit started against his former teammate, Hellebuyck. Nikolaj Ehlers did not dress for the Jets, as he remains out with an upper-body injury.

FIRST PERIOD

• As expected, the Golden Knights put on a heck of a pre-game performance, with the Golden Knight adding a new ally to his arsenal.

• The fourth line of Brett Howden, Nicolas Roy, and Keegan Kolesar started the game alongside the Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud pairing.
• Mark Stone kicked off his first shift in months with a big hit on Mark Scheifele behind the net.
• Nicolas Roy and the Golden Knights forecheck worked hard to win a puck battle and set up Brett Howden in the slot for a chance that was denied.
• The Jets turned over the puck again behind their own net, which led to Michael Amadio getting a chance that he missed the net on.
• Nicolas Hague made a great pass to Jack Eichel, cutting to the net, but he also missed the net.
• Mark Scheifele got perhaps the best Jets chance to this point in the game as he cut to the slot for a shot on Laurent Brossoit.
• The Jets then topped that scoring opportunity with a net-mouth scramble. By the grace of the hockey gods, the puck stayed out somehow.

• In the scrum, Jets forward Morgan Barron was cut by the skate blade of Laurent Brossoit and left the game to get stitches. He returned later.
• WPG PP- Shea Theodore was called for hooking Adam Lowry, which activated the first powerplay of the series.
• WPG PP- With just five seconds remaining on the first penalty, Zach Whitecloud was called for slashing, putting the Jets on a brief 5 on 3.
• Laurent Brossoit gave away the puck to the Jets, which nearly resulted in a goal, but LB was able to get back into his net just in time.

SECOND PERIOD

• 1-0 WPG GOAL- Pierre-Luc Dubois skated into the zone, and Kyle Connor ripped home a shot after receiving a pass to him to open the scoring.

• 2-0 WPG GOAL- Not long after, 1:02 to be precise, Pierre-Luc Dubois scored himself after the Golden Knights made a bad change. 

• VGK PP- Saku Maenalanen hooked Jack Eichel on the way to the net and was called for slashing. Some chances were there, but the Jets killed.
• After the goals, T-Mobile Arena fell quiet with their team down two. The Golden Knights had little energy in the building.
• At this point in the game, Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck became even more noticeable, making some big saves.
• Head coach Bruce Cassidy started to shuffle up his lines with his team looking flat-footed. The Misfits reunited, and Eichel played with Stone.
• Kyle Connor went off to the races and got a small breakaway and a decent shot on his former teammate, Laurent Brossoit.
• 2-1 VGK GOAL- William Karlsson finally opened the scoring for the VGK after a nice pass from Ivan Barbashev off the rush.

• VGK PP- Carrying the momentum from the William Karlsson goal, the Golden Knights drew a penalty, a Mark Scheifele cross-check.
• The Jets have some good looks near the end of the period, with Mark Scheifele generating most of them.
• The second period ended with a massive post-whistle scrum that involved Mark Stone and Kyle Connor.

THIRD PERIOD

• Pierre-Luc Dubois got the first solid chance of the third period for the Jets with a backhander after skating behind the net.
• 3-1 WPG GOAL- The Golden Knights let the Jets fiddle around in the offensive zone too long, and Blake Wheeler scored on the backhand.

• Once again, the energy was sucked out of T-Mobile Arena, and the Golden Knights had to try and find a way to get it back.
• Blake Wheeler aired a shot over Laurent Brososit as the Jets continued to put up shots on their former goaltender.
• VGK PP- With 5:15 left in the game, the Jets were called for a too-man men penalty. The Golden Knight's powerplay failed to score.
• Laurent Broissoit went to the Golden Knights bench for the extra attacker with 2:33 left in the third period.
• 4-1 WPG GOAL- Adam Lowry sealed things with an empty-net goal with 1:21 remaining.
• WPG PP- Boarding was called on Keegan Kolesar. Saku Manelanen and Nicolas Hague also got 10-minute game misconducts.
• 5-1 WPG GOAL- Adam Lowry added another goal on the powerplay.

VHN's Player of the Game: Mark Stone, just for the fact that he was able to play in the first place.

Up Next: Game two will be played on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.