FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Blues - Game 3

FSM Essential Recap: Golden Knights vs Blues – Game 3

Franchise Sports Media

The Golden Knights took on the Blues Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. St. Louis gave VGK the blues in a 3-1 win over the injury plagued Golden Knights.  

The St. Louis Blues handed Vegas its second straight loss after defeating VGK 3-1 on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Once again, the Knights lost a player to injury during the game. This time it was Alec Martinez who left the game in the third period and did not return.

The banged-up Golden Knights played their first game in six days and the first since losing captain Mark Stone and goal-scorer Max Pacioretty to injury. Vegas entered the game extremely thin with a shaken-up forward corps, while the Blues were without Pavel Buchnevich due to a two-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety.

The Blues got an early power-play opportunity after William Carrier was whistled for hooking, but the Golden Knights’ penalty kill was successful on its first test of the night. It took the Knights nearly seven minutes to record their first shot as the Blues got the first seven of the night.

Despite missing the morning skate, Robin Lehner was sharp in the early stages of the first period, making 10 saves before the halfway point of the frame. But it was the Golden Knights who broke the ice and got on the board first with a goal from the Misfits Line. William Karlsson opened the scoring after Reilly Smith entered the zone on a 2-on-1 break. Smith fed Karlsson tape-to-tape, and Karlsson fired a wrist shot past Jordan Binnington.

The Misfits Line continued to buzz as Marchessault rang the bar after another 2-on-1. Late in the first period, both teams were flying end-to-end, but Lehner and Binnington stood tall. The Knights got a flurry of shots from William Carrier and Brett Howden, who was making his Golden Knights debut, but Binnington’s right pad made every stop.

The Blues tied the game early in the second period with a goal from Brandon Saad on a wrist shot from the slot. Saad gathered a rebound and fired it under Lehner’s glove.

The Golden Knights got their first power play of the night when Colton Parayko was whistled for hooking Keegan Kolesar. The man advantage didn’t last long, however, as Martinez went to the box for tripping. The teams killed both penalties, however. The second period was less lively throughout as the teams only combined for eight high-danger chances.

Vegas will look to bounce back against the undefeated Edmonton Oilers Friday night at T-Mobile Arena. The puck drops at 7:00.