Video Credit: NHL

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs. Coyotes- Game 39

Franchise Sports Media

 

VGK took on the Arizona Coyotes Friday night and had one of their best first period performances in franchise history.

 

Golden Knights vs Coyotes
Photo Credit: USA Today / Getty Images

Two and a half minutes into the game, the Knights were awarded a powerplay after Christian Fisher cross-checked Jonathan Marchessault. Just over a minute and a half into the man advantage Jonathan Marchessault scored from the right circle after a great pass by Max Pachioretty, ending the goalless streak after going 0/18 on the powerplay. With 15:19 remaining William Carrier did a great job working down low and was rewarded after burying his own rebound from in front of the net. It was his seventh point in his last eight games.

Keegan Kolesar joined in on the scoring frenzy 1:18, later, stealing the puck in front of the net and turning and shot the puck into the net to finish off a very hard-working play. With 11:35 remaining, Arizona was awarded a powerplay after William Carrier was called for slashing against Conor Garland. Still, it was the Knights who benefitted after Reilly Smith scored a shorthanded goal. It was the Knights fourth goal in five minutes and twenty-one seconds.

VGK was awarded another powerplay but was unable to score on their three shots on goal in that time frame. Robin Lehner made a pair of great save in the final minutes to preserve his team’s four-goal lead stopping Johan Larsson and Clayton Keller. The period ended with Vegas leading the shot total of 22-8 in an amazing first-period performance.

 

After the game settled down in the latter half of the first period the VGK were able to widen their lead early in the middle frame.

 

Chandler Stephenson scored the Knights fifth goal of the night as he went tweeners through the five-hole on Adin Hill, ending his thirteen-game goal drought. Right at the halfway mark Tomas Nosek nearly added a sixth goal on a great breakaway chance after Keegan Kolesar lit up two Yotes’ players along the boards, causing the opportunity, but Hill was able to come up with a save for his team. With 1:49 remaining, Arizona was given their second powerplay opportunity after Nicolas Roy was called for hooking. Arizona was finally able to get on the score sheet as Nick Schmaltz fired a shot that beat Lehner up high on the blocker side, bringing the Coyotes within four goals to end the second period.

 

The third period saw the Arizona Coyotes pull Adin Hill for Ivan Prosetov for just his second ever NHL appearance as they tried to catch up to VGK on the scoreboard.

 

Golden Knights vs Coyotes
Photo Credit: Santa Maria Times

Arizona scored a little over two and a half minutes into the final frame as Dryden Hunt beat Robin Lehner on the near side with the Coyotes’ first shot of the period. Clayton Keller scored again fifty-eight seconds later on a breakaway chance going backhand-forehand to beat Lehner glove side. With 10:16 remaining, the Knights answered back as Reilly Smith scored his second goal of the game to put Vegas up by three, beating Prosetov up high past the glove hand on VGK’s first shot in nine minutes.

Fifteen seconds later, the Yotes scored what would be their last goal of the game after Shea Theodore turned the puck over in his own end, and Michael Bunting was able to beat a sprawling Lehner to cut their deficit to two. With Arizona pulling their goalie in the final minutes’ Max Pachioretty was able to take advantage of the opportunity and score an empty-net goal to ice the game for Vegas.

 

 

Looking Forward: 

 

VGK will look to replicate their first-period performance while tightening up their play from the final two periods. While the Arizona Coyotes were never able to make it a one-goal game, the breakdowns from Vegas in the 2nd and 3rd periods made their performance less dominating than it should have been. Arizona has been riding Adin Hill a lot lately as Ivan Prosetov is very inexperienced at the NHL level, so we will see who Rick Tocchet decides to start in net. It should not matter too much, though, as the Knights showed they have no problem putting pucks past either goalie.

 

The Vegas Golden Knights will resume play Sunday afternoon against The Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena. The puck drop is set for 1:00 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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