FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Lightning - Game 56 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Lightning – Game 56 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Vegas Golden Knights (34-18-4)  | Tampa Bay Lightning  (35-17-3)

 

Golden Knights get their fifth straight victory, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. The Vegas Golden Knights remained hot with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in T-Mobile Arena.

The Golden Knights vs Lightning first period. 

The victory for Vegas extended their win streak to five games, and they remain in first place in the Pacific Division.

“I did feel it was a playoff vibe,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I was comfortable with my lines in November, and then a bunch of guys got hurt, damn it, and so that kind screwed that up. Now we’re back to pretty good health minus. I like the way they’re operating.”

This was Tampa Bay’s first regulation loss of a four-game trip after being 3-0-1 in the past four games. 

In the first period, Shae Theodore had three points (1 goal, two assists). Theodore has a history of producing against the Lightning, twice putting up four-point games against them and scoring the winning goal with 2 seconds left in a 2017 meeting.

“He can just manufacture stuff out of nothing,” Vegas coach Cassidy said. “Those are special players. Every team needs them. Especially for someone on the back end, it makes you dangerous. We’re a little more dangerous in the offensive zone (with him). He’s got to be accounted for. I know he’ll be on the Prescott on their team a lot.”

Both the Golden Knights and Lightning traded goals in the first period; the Lightning struck first when Vladislav Namestnikov tipped the puck in to put Tampa Bay on the board first, 1-0.

But just seven seconds later, the Golden Knights responded when Brent Howden scored from the right wing to tie the game 1-1.

“It was nice to get a quick response like that,” Howden said. “The first five minutes, they were pushing hard, and we were on our heels a bit. After they scored that to get one right back, it put us right back in the game. So it was nice to have that happen.”

But just at the seven-minute mark, the Lightning retook the lead after Steven Stamkos fired a one-timer from the left circle to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Lightning. 

Two minutes later, Jonathan Marchessault tied the game 2-2 after firing a wrist shot from the left circle. It was Marchessault’s first goal since Jan. 7, ending a 13-game drought.

With over six minutes left in the first period, Theodore scored five-hole, trickling in past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to give the Golden Knights its first lead of 3-2.

The Golden Knights vs Lightning end of the first period.

Once again, the Golden Knights were in a tight game after controlling it early on.

The Golden Knights vs Lightning second and third periods.

With over three minutes left in the first period, Marchessault scored his second goal, getting the rebound off Theodore’s shot and finishing with a backhand to make the score 4-2. The goal was confirmed well by a video review after Tampa Bay challenged the goal for high-sticking earlier in the sequence.

“I thought my stick was around my shoulders,” Marchessault said. “It hit the bottom part of it.”

Four minutes into the second period, Corey Perry cut the lead back to one goal after his initial shot bounced off of Adin Hill’s glove and into the net to make the score 4-3.

With over two minutes left in the third period, Nicolas Roy scored an empty net goal to extend the lead 5-3.

But the Lightning got another tip-in goal to put them back within a goal, but it was too as Vegas closed out the game and got the victory 5-4.

“We finished the game. That’s what I really liked at the end,” Cassidy said. “Three of the lines got on the score sheet. Typically, that’s what’s been going on lately. It’s tough to get every line on the score sheet every night. … We’re starting to figure it out like the start of the year.”

The Golden Knights vs Lightning final score is 5-4.

The Golden Knights will hit the road when they play against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday. The puck drops at 5:30 pm. The game can be seen on  AT&T SportsNet (channel 313 on Cox Cable) or heard on 98.9 FM, FOX Sports Las Vegas 1340 AM.