LAS VEGAS — The Golden Knights used a five-goal third period to break things open and turn a close game into a 7-2 rout of the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Vegas won its seventh straight game while earning a point for the ninth time in 11 games.
Advertisement
Nashville held a 1-0 lead after one period thanks to Luke Evangelista’s goal and the stellar play of goaltender Justus Annunen, who stopped all 15 shots he faced in the opening stanza.
But Vegas, which is averaging 5.14 goals per game during its seven-game win streak, got goals from seven different skaters and at least one point from 14 players.
Alexander Holtz, Shea Theodore, Pavel Dorofeyev, Mark Stone, Cole Reinhardt, Mitch Marner and Keegan Kolesar all scored for the Knights.
“We got guys in the room (who) historically have scored, so we figure at some point they’ll get closer to their numbers,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “The team has scored. It’s a lot of the same guys, so the analytics dictate that.
Advertisement
“We figured sooner or later, generally, that would follow suit, the pucks would go in. And now they are. And I hope it continues, where that evens out a little bit of where we feel we are, and with the numbers-crunching game, so to speak.”
Goaltender Akira Schmid stopped 27 shots and improved to 15-4-5 on the year. The 15 wins are a career high.
Image
A 65-second moment was the highlight Saturday night, beginning with Holt’s goal 17:17 into the second period and then with Theodore’s goal 65 seconds later.
It appeared to steal the competitive edge Nashville held, especially after the Predators beat the league-leading Colorado Avalanche in Denver the night before, while somewhat deflating Annunen’s mojo and sending the Knights into the locker room with all the momentum they’d need for a huge third period.
Advertisement
“We realized, I guess, as a team, that when we get pucks and bodies to the net, good things are gonna happen,” Kolesar said. “And that just clicked in our mind going into third period. And you saw it, I don’t think anyone was really passing up opportunities to get the puck to the net and get to the net. We get chance after chance after chance, and that can just wear them down.”
600 – Theodore not only skated in the 36th game of the season, but it was the 600th of his career. The 30-year-old defenseman, one of the original members of the league’s 31st franchise, finished with a goal and an assist, and now has 25 points – tied for 30th among all blue liners in the league. His seven goals rank 24th among all defensemen.
Advertisement
Theodore’s 371 points with Vegas rank third all-time with the franchise, while is 291 assists rank No. 1 with the Knights.
After allowing the Predators’ first goal to sneak by off a deflection, Schmid was brilliant between the pipes for Vegas. The 25-year-old netminder, who will represent the Swiss Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that will compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Games next month, stopped 27 consecutive shots before Nashville’s final shot of the game slipped by to provide the final margin.
Schmid’s 15 wins are tied for the 14th most in the NHL, while his 2.45 goals-against average ranks fourth in the NHL among goaltenders with at least 25 games played.
Advertisement
“Just getting into a rhythm playing a lot of games, you know, you don’t think as much,” Schmid said about adding to his career-high numbers. “You don’t have much time to practice, but you kind of get into a flow and feel good about yourself.”
UP NEXT: The Golden Knights conclude their three-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
PHOTO CAPTION: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) attempts to slow Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon (5) as goaltender Justus Annunen (29) makes a save during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
