FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Blue Jackets - Game 61

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Blue Jackets – Game 61

Franchise Sports Media

Golden Knights (32-25-4)  | Columbus Blue Jackets (30-27-3)

The Golden Knights lost their fourth straight game, this time to the Blue Jackets 6-4.

The Vegas Golden Knights finally found their offensive game and scored four goals Sunday afternoon against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately, it was not enough to top the Blue Jackets as Vegas lost the game 6-4.

This is the ninth game the team has lost in the past twelve games. Saturday night, the Edmonton Oilers knocked the Golden Knights out of a Pacific Division playoff spot, and now the Vancouver Canucks are knocking on the door, just three points behind VGK.

Logan Thompson got his third career NHL start as Max Pacioretty and Ben Hutton were absent from the Golden Knights’ lineup. Pacioretty left Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period and did not return. Hutton is in COVID-19 protocols.

With the team’s offense struggling, head coach Peter DeBoer dramatically shuffled up his lines, putting William Karlsson at wing and using Nolan Patrick as the team’s third-line center.

Patrick returned to the lineup after he missed seven games with a head injury. If you recall, Patrick took a high hit from Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan Mackinnon in mid-February.

He didn’t exactly return on a good note, taking a tripping penalty in the opening period. Patrick had to watch from the box as fellow Patrick (Laine) scored on the ensuing powerplay. VGK answered with a goal from Jonathan Marchessault just a few shifts later. In the Blue Jackets’ end, Sean Kuraly made a horrible turnover, and Marchessault scored unassisted.

The pressure from the Golden Knights mounted after Marchessault’s goal, and they continued to crash the net and gain offensive chances. Finally, William Carrier gave VGK a 2-1 lead as he tipped Nicolas Roy’s shot behind Elvis Merzlikins. Carrier then got another grade-A chance with a shot in the slot.

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Golden Knights offense was starting to get rewarded for their chances. Their defensive game was a different story.

On a successful dump and chase, Olivier Bjorkstrand fed Cole Sillinger, who scored. Then on the following shift, Bjorkstrand scored a goal of his own with a well-placed slap shot past Thompson. Max Domi then got into it with both Nicolas Hague and Alex Pietrangelo. It wasn’t listed as an official fight. Instead, all three went off for roughing, which gave the Blue Jackets a powerplay.

The Vegas Golden Knights finish out their five-game road trip on Tuesday as they play the Winnipeg Jets. They drop the puck at 5:00, which can be seen on AT&T Sports Net.