Video Credit: NHL

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs. Wild- Game 51

Franchise Sports Media

 

The first period between Vegas and Minnesota was a wild one as both teams combined for a total of five goals, with four of them coming in the first eight minutes.

 

Golden Knights vs Wild
Photo Credit: Knights On Ice

The Wild got the scoring started first as Joel Eriksson Ek took advantage of a vulnerable Robin Lehner who was unable to get set after losing his stick in the moments leading up to the goal. Less than a minute later, Shea Theodore answered right back, scoring a goal from the right circle after Mattias Janmark provided a great screen in front of Cam Talbot, allowing the puck to fly by him before he could react. Minnesota took exception to the play and used the coach’s challenge stating that Mattias Janmark had interfered with the goalie. They lost the challenge and took a delay of game penalty, sending VGK to the powerplay.

In the final seconds of the man advantage, Alec Martinez received a cross-ice pass and was able to corral it before roofing it past Talbot to give his team their first lead of the night. The Wild answered right back shortly after as Nick Bonino cleaned up a long-range shot from Matt Dumba as Lehner could not control the rebound. With 7:38 remaining Alex Tuch gave the Knights their second lead of the night after Peyton Krebs found him from the neutral zone streaking down the left side where Tuch was able to shoot the puck just under Talbot’s left arm to beat him far side. It was Kreb’s first NHL point in his career and a warm welcome to the NHL.

 

The Vegas Golden Knights continued to build off the momentum from the goal by Alex Tuch in the second period maintaining their lead throughout the end of forty minutes.

 

Kirill Kaprisov nearly tied the game up just two minutes in, but Robin Lehner came through with a great glove save to thwart his backhand shot. With 13:15 remaining Mark Stone put VGK up by two after Chandler Stephenson intercepted the puck in the Wild zone before dropping the puck back to the captain who beat Cam Talbot from in between the slot. Roughly a minute later, the Knights took two consecutive penalties in a row to give Minnesota a lengthy 5 on 3 powerplay.

Nick Bonino scored twenty-two seconds after the second penalty was called when Jared Spurgeon one-timed a shot that hit Bonino before moving past Lehner to bring the Wild within one. With just under four minutes left Jonathan Marchessault put the Knights up by two goals for the second time after Alec Martinez made a great cross-crease pass where he handily put the puck past Talbot. The play tonight definitely resembled playoff hockey as emotions ran high, and there were multiple scrums between the two teams. One of those scrums led to Nick Foligno taking a roughing penalty and giving VGK another opportunity with the man advantage in the final minutes, but no more goals were scored before the middle frame ended.

The third period led to a surprising finish as the Minnesota Wild did not let the two-goal deficit deter them as they staged a late game comeback.

 

Golden Knights vs Wild
Photo Credit: NY Post

The first ten minutes of the period were uneventful as it began to feel like VGK would cruise to a victory in St. Paul. The Wild began their late-game surge with 9:10 remaining when Kevin Fiala scored a goal off of his own rebound and backhanded the puck in past Lehner. After their lead being cut to one, the Knights still looked in control of the game, even receiving a powerplay with 5:30 remaining.

VGK failed to convert, though, and with 1:33 remaining, Kirill Kaprisov tied the game up, pouncing on a loose puck, and beat Lehner as he desperately tried to sprawl out and make the save. Just as the realization of the Knights surrendering a two-goal lead was setting in, Jonas Brodin fired a long-range shot from the blue line that flew in with the Vegas netminder, unable to see the puck as he was being screened. The Wild held on to the lead in the final minute, and VGK fell after leading by two goals for two periods for just the second time this season.

 

Looking Forward: 

 

Tonight’s loss was a very uncharacteristic one as the Knights have been great, holding a lead all year long. The Minnesota Wild are the only team to overcome a two-goal deficit against VGK after two periods this year and have now done it twice. Even though they are in fourth place in the standings, the Wild have proven themselves to be a dangerous team this season. A late-game breakdown is the last thing you want to see this close to the playoffs, but VGK will have a chance at retribution Wednesday night as they take on the Wild for the last game of the season series.

 

The Vegas Golden Knights will resume play Wednesday evening against The Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The puck drop is set for 5:00 p.m. and will be on AT&T Sportsnet and FOX Sports Las Vegas 98.9/1340.

 

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-D.J. Wood– Franchise Sports Media

Follow D.J. on Twitter @DJwoody97

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