FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Sharks - Game 15

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Sharks – Game 15

Franchise Sports Media

Vegas Golden Knights (12-2-1) vs San Jose Sharks (2-11-1)

 

The Golden Knights got back to their winning ways with a 5-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

It is game 15 of the NHL season, and the Golden Knights took on the SanJose Sharks. 

The Vegas Golden Knights, leading the Western Conference with a record of 11-2-1, faced the last-place San Jose Sharks (2-10-1) in a division clash at T-Mobile Arena on Friday night.

Both teams entered the game amid two-game streaks.

The visiting Sharks had won two straight, marking San Jose’s first two wins of the season, after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 the night before.

On the flip side, the Golden Knights had lost consecutive games for the first time this season, suffering a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and, most recently, a 4-1 defeat against the Los Angeles Kings.

The season had started differently for the two teams.

While the Golden Knights had begun the year on an 11-0-1 tear, the Sharks came close to posting the worst season-opening losing streak in NHL history, with 11 straight losses (0-10-1). However, they managed to avoid that fate by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Tuesday and following it up with a win against the struggling 2-9-1 Oilers on Thursday.

The Golden Knights faced off against the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

Adin Hill recorded his second shutout of the season, and Alec Martinez scored twice in a game that the Golden Knights dominated against a Sharks team that had won just two of 14 games this season.

The Golden Knights vs Sharks game saw VGK victorious over the Sharks.

In the first period, the Golden Knights got goals from two defensemen, starting with Alex Pietrangelo, who scored on a wraparound for his first of the season. The goal, the game-winner, came exactly one minute into the hockey game.

Ten minutes later, Alec Martinez’s one-timer found its way into the net to give Vegas a 2-0 lead. Michael Amadio recorded the primary assist on both goals from Vegas’ back end. The Golden Knights led 15-3 in shots through the first 17:35 and finished the first period with a 15-6 edge.

In the second period, Vegas could not extend its lead, but Hill made several key saves.

However, in the third period, the Golden Knights broke through with three goals. Karlsson scored his eighth of the year, Martinez struck again to make it 4-0, and Brett Howden added another goal.

The final score wasn’t close, with Vegas nearly doubling San Jose’s shot total (39-20). Martinez talked about the team’s performance, saying, “I don’t think anyone’s confidence has wavered in here, but I think we recognized that there were things we weren’t doing up to our ability.”

In their final game before a 5-game road trip, the Golden Knights delivered a solid 60-minute effort in front of their home crowd. “We played the right way from start to finish and didn’t let up for a second,” Hill said.

The Sharks, coming off two straight wins, couldn’t gain momentum against the Golden Knights, who took control of the game in the opening frame.

“I thought our first-period kind of dictated how the game would go for us,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We kept on course there. Then it’s up to [San Jose] to adjust and find some offense; I thought we did a good job shutting that down.”

Hill’s ability to stay sharp, despite not seeing much action in his end, contributed to the Golden Knights shutting down all four of San Jose’s power plays.

The Golden Knights’ penalty kill went 4-for-4 against the Sharks, and Karlsson’s shorthanded marker accounted for a goal. It was a big game for Vegas’ blue line, with Zach Whitecloud making his season debut and the top pairing of Pietrangelo and Martinez responsible for three of Vegas’ five goals.

The Golden Knights played well, but the Sharks‘ 11-game losing streak at the start of the season indicated that this performance should not be seen as a benchmark for the Golden Knights moving forward.

Nevertheless, the Golden Knights collected two more points and improved their all-time record against San Jose to 22-2-5.

The final score in the Golden Knights vs Sharks was 5-0, Vegas.

The Golden Knights now start their five-game road trip on Tuesday night in Washington. They drop the puck at 4:00 p.m.