Thursday evening brought Day Two of NHL action and the opening game for Captain Mark Stone and the Vegas Golden Knights. Stone was named captain by Head Coach Pete DeBoer and his teammates just in time to sew the C on his sweater and for him to carry his team to their first win of the season.
Alex Pietrangelo donned an A, making his first appearance with the club. With his help, Stone and Co. walked away winners after a frantic start, a largely sloppy second period, and a Golden Knight dominated third. Scoring came from up and down their unconventional lineup, a key to success in the National League. It may not have been perfect, but the boys got the job done, heading home with a 5-2 win.
This one started fast and furious, with four goals in the first eight minutes of action. If you blinked you probably missed it. Marchessault and Tomas Nosek got the game going and before I knew it, the two Vegas goals were quickly matched by the Ducks. Not even one drink into the game and four goals were scored. Wow.
It was a wild night inside the T-Mobile Arena. What had happened was......
Marches-score:
If the Golden Knights are going to make a deep playoff run, they’ll need their Top-Six forwards to be on their game. Reilly Smith is as consistent as they come, as is Stone. Max Pacioretty is a prototypical sniper. One big question mark is the 2-LW, Jonathan Marchessault, a player I have admittedly been critical of at times.
The man they call Marchy wasted no time getting on the scoresheet, tallying the first goal of Year Four just 1:07 into the contest. Alec Martinez spotted the chatty, chippy winger as he split the defense and he buried it, top cheese, over the always-tough John Gibson. Marchessault found a nice seam and Martinez didn’t miss. The shot was a beauty. Great start for Vegas.
Marchessault finished the 2019-20 season with a respectable line of 22-25-47, but he fell victim to long stretches of low production and tends to get too involved in the extracurricular portion of the game. When he asserts himself offensively, he is a treat to watch. If he fails to build on his solid start, Alex Tuch is always waiting in the wings, itching for Top Six minutes. Tuch added an empty-netter as the game came to a close.
So far, so good for Marchessault. He’s now on pace for 56 goals; not too shabby.
Shutting the Door:
As mentioned previously, there were four goals in eight minutes. Two of those made it past Robin Lehner, who got the first start in the Vegas’ strong goalie tandem. Lehner did what Lehner does. He made the necessary stops, never made it look difficult, and continued to make the Islanders look silly for letting him leave NY back in 2019 after a 2.13 GAA/.930 SV% season.
Following the game, Lehner acknowledged that the Ducks got a few good bounces, leading to Max Comtois’ pair of lamp lighters. Panda and the VGK defense shut down the Ducks for the next 52:02. Lehner was strong finishing with 20 saves on 22 shots on goal. Expect Fleury in goal on Saturday, when the Ducks come quacking for revenge. Unfortunately we will never know prior to warm-ups, as DeBoer wants to keep his cards close to the vest.
Oh Captain, My Captain:
Wednesday was a big day for Stone. He was named the first-ever captain of the Vegas Golden Knights, which is an honor in itself. Combine that, with the fact that he was chosen over two former captains and original Golden Misfits who have donned the A. Also keep in mind, that he has never worn a C on the front (or back for that matter) of his jersey in the NHL. What an accomplishment.
Mark Stone on the Captaincy:
“It’s an honor and not something I’m going to take lightly.”
What Stone didn’t take lightly, was his team being tied heading into the third period, fresh off the heels of a sloppy second. The captain was noticeably good in the third, scoring the go-ahead goal before setting Pacioretty up for an insurance marker of this own. Stone’s persistence and compete level shone through in the third period and gave the Golden Knights the lift they needed.
Broadcasting in 5D:
Five D, as in Defensemen. In his pre-game availability, GM Kelly McCrimmon broke the news that the opening night lineup would consist of 13 forwards and five defensemen and our collective media jaws dropped.
Shockingly, DeBoer was upbeat and excited about it in his time immediately after McCrimmon. “For me there’s going to be some salary cap gymnastics that we have to deal with.” He followed that up quickly with, “Small price to pay” for the types of players (Pietrangelo) they brought in. Keegan Kolesar benefited from the move, while Nic Hague and Nick Holden found themselves watching from above.
Partially, the five defenseman decision was salary cap driven. In addition to saving money, the team was able to roll out either Pietrangelo or Shea Theodore more often. That also helped get Zach Whitecloud time with some better partners. Whitecloud is really blossoming, a continuation from last year’s training camp, in my eyes. Traditionally he’d be on the third pair, but he looked great alongside the top four.
This surely won’t be a permanent configuration, but what game one showed was that they can do it and do it successfully. Both Hague and Holden will get NHL time at some point this season.
No Fans Needed:
Without their raucous fan base in attendance, the Golden Knights production crew ramped up their efforts, assisted by new Music Director DJ Joe Green. All facets of the in-arena entertainment were in effect. Bruce Cusick screaming through the PA system, mind-numbingly loud music, and of course the debut of their new video opening. COVID made things tough, but not impossible.
This is Vegas and we know how to party. The players enjoyed their two scrimmages with the current setup and it seemed to give them the typical jump you see out of the VGK home games. As much as the fans get recognized for being an X-Factor, the music and crowd noise were an adequate substitute. This team is just good. Fans or no fans, they’ll rack up wins.
A grudge match with the Ducks on Saturday is next up for the Golden Knights. Puck drop in Vegas is scheduled for 7pm. Locally, the game will be broadcast on AT&T Sports Net, in addition to national viewing on NHL.tv and the NHL Center Ice package.
Stay up to date with all things VGK as we get closer and closer to the start of the new, shortened season! Follow me at the links below!
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