FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Blues - Game 54

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs. Blues – Game 54

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The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues for the second time in as many days by a score of 4-1 at T-Mobile Arena Saturday night.

Reilly Smith got the T-Mobile Arena crowd on their feet twelve minutes into the first period. Keegan Kolesar created a turnover at center ice. The puck ended up on Smith’s stick, and he was able to backhand the puck past Villie Husso. Credit Kolesar for his hard work that led to a VGK goal. VGK’s second goal of the game was also a result of hard work that created a turnover. With VGK shorthanded, Alex Pietrangelo created a turnover and was able to find Chandler Stephenson, who converted a one-timer. 2-0 VGK at the end of the first period.

The temperature started to rise in the second period. VGK and the Blues are on pace to faceoff in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs next week. Plenty of big hits followed by many after the whistle gatherings. The period’s only goal was scored by Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues. Parayko was able to get to the front of the net and sneak one backhand behind Marc Andre Fleury. With a minute and a half remaining, Fleury was bumped by a Blues player, which Pietrangelo took exception to. 2-1 VGK heading to the third period, and the stage was set for a rough third period.

Smith got his second goal of the game on the power play just over four minutes into the third period. VGK lost the faceoff to start the power play, and Alex Tuch created a turnover. Alec Martinez found Smith down low, who quickly brought the puck to the front of the net. The initial shot was saved by Husso, and Smith converted the rebound. Smith put the cherry on top with an empty netter which was also the first hat-trick of his career. As time expired, there was plenty of pushing and shoving.

“It took me over 600 games to get a hat trick,” Smith said. “It’s obviously a big moment for me, and I’m happy about it, but there’s a lot of guys who helped me put the puck in the back of the net.”

Beyond an electric crowd of over seven thousand “Medieval Maniacs,” the theme of the night was creating turnovers.  VGK’s first three goals were a result of creating turnovers.

With Saturday’s win, VGK can do no worse than second place in the West Division.  The state is set for tomorrow’s showdown against the Colorado Avalanche.  The scenario is simple, with any win against the Avalanche, the Golden Knights will win the Honda West Division.

“This was an important game,” Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said. “We talked a month ago about making sure when we got Colorado to town at the end of the season that that game meant something. We’ve done a lot of work over the last five, six weeks to make it happen, and we did.

“Right now, that’s the biggest game of the year. It doesn’t get any bigger than Monday night.”

“We’re trying to get home-ice advantage, so finishing first in the league guarantees we get it every round,” VGK forward William Carrier said. “We’re trying to push, and the big thing is getting ready for the playoffs. You don’t want to walk in there and have your game kind of lazy.”

“To hold a team in the NHL to six or eight shots through two periods is a testament to how well you’re playing defensively, and we did and still put a lot of pressure on offensively,” DeBoer said. “So it was a lot of good stuff.”

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-Chris Gawlik – Franchise Sports Media

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