FSM Essential Recap: VGK vs Canucks – Round 2 – Game 5
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The Vegas Golden Knights fell 2-1 to the Vancouver Canucks in game five of the Western Conference Semi-Finals on Tuesday night.
The teams were scoreless after the first period, with Vegas holding a 10-6 shots-on-goal advantage. The second period would remain scoreless for just over fifteen minutes, and then Shea Theodore tallied a “goal of the year candidate.” The National NBC crew said it was the best goal in the Western Conference this year. Theodore received a pass from just inside the blueline, dangled two Canucks, deked a third Canuck, skated by a fourth Canuck, and lifted it top shelf.
The Golden Knights would only lead for twenty-four seconds, unfortunately. Brock Boeser scored on a nice deflection from J.T. Miller on a play where VGK was flatfooted. Vancouver did an excellent job with a couple of long passes that made it easy for Boeser to find a clear lane to the VGK net. Entering this game, VGK had outscored their postseason opponents 17-5 in the third period. Unfortunately, that now sits at 17-6. Elias Pettersson scored on a great deflection just over three minutes into the third period, and that is how this one would end.
Goaltender Thatcher Demko made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut against VGK in a win or go home game. He looked calm from the puck drop and stopped forty-two of VGK’s forty-three shot attempts. VGK had a lot of point-blank opportunities, and Demko was up to the task. Demko had excellent rebound control and did everything he could to keep his team in it.
Forty-three shots on goal and two goals to show for it.
VGK had forty-nine shots on goal in game four of the Quarterfinals against Chicago, forty shots on goal in game two of the conference semis, and forty-nine shots on goal in game five of the conference semis. They have all of four goals to show for those efforts. The narrative is probably the same for each of those previously mentioned games. Continue to put pucks on the net, and good things will happen.
I wonder how good of a dancer VGK Coach Pete DeBoer is? When asked about the starting goalie question in Tuesday’s presser, he had this to say, “Are we going to do this dance every morning? My feet are sore.” DeBoer is going to need some better shoes for his next couple of pressers because he will be asked about his goalies a lot. By now, we have all heard DeBoer state that there is a plan for his goalies.
Whether it be a rotation, decision based on practice, or flipping a coin, he says there is a plan. In the quarter-finals against Chicago, Marc Andre Fleury played the second game of back to backs. In the semi-finals against Vancouver, Fleury played the second game of back to backs. If necessary, game seven will be the second game of back to backs—what a spot for DeBoer to be in.
On one side, VGK is one game away from advancing to their second Conference Finals in three years. On the other side, VGK is two losses away from leaving the bubble. I can not imagine a scenario where Fleury sits the next two games. If Robin Lehner starts game six, does DeBoer have the guts to start a “backup” in a game seven?
This is where things get a bit more interesting. Vancouver is full of confidence. Hopefully, that confidence leads to a bit of complacency in game six.
Game sevens are only fun when it is not your team playing or when your team wins game six.
Golden Knights vs. Canucks Series & T.V. info
Game 1: Golden Knights 5, Canucks 0
Game 2: Canucks 5, Golden Knights 2
Game 3: Golden Knights 3, Canucks 0
Game 4: Golden Knights 5, Canucks 3
Game 5: Canucks 2, Golden Knights 1
Thursday, Sept. 3, TBD: Golden Knights @ Canucks | TBD
*Friday, Sept. 4, TBD: Canucks @ Golden Knights | TBD
*If necessary
The magic number for the Golden Knights to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup remains at 9.
Go Knights Go!
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-Chris Gawlik – Franchise Sports Media
Twitter: TDChrisG
