The Western Conference may not be quaking yet, but they're taking notice of this plucky 7-1 group.
"They had a lot of structure in their game," admitted Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "Not a lot of time, not a lot of space. They might have been quicker in certain areas."
Winning Play
Late in second, Ryan Hartman took an unnecessary run at Brayden McNabb, resulting in a four-minute Golden Knights power play. Up 2-1, this was a golden chance for the home team to put some space between themselves and Chicago, who would surely roar back in the final frame. The man advantage, however, failed to establish even a significant zone presence. As the double-minor was winding down, I was in the middle of writing this excoriating tweet, when...
We know Chicago will roar back in 3rd. #VGK will alomst certainly...and Bellemare just scored lol
This goal certainly changed the tenor of the game. And it happened so quickly, so unexpectedly, that the goal scorer didn't even see who caused the initial Jordan Oesterle turnover:
Bellemare didn't realize Nosek forced turnover which set up his goal. On hearing that, credits "Nosy" for two goals tonight
"I saw the D coming to me, so I knew Belly was there alone. I knew right away that I was going to pass there."
Pluses
It was a big night for "Nosy," who also added a shovel goal off a Deryk Engelland shot which handcuffed Corey Crawford.
There, Nosek hustled to the net from the blueline in, unattended by a swarm of Blackhawks.
"The first one, it's a great shot [by Engelland], but if [Nosek] doesn't go there, it's a save," observed Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. "The second one, I didn't even know that he was the one winning the puck back. So that's two of his goals."
When Vegas selected Nosek in the Expansion Draft, Head Coach Gerard Gallant didn't know him. But the Czech grinder has quickly become a favorite -- notably after practice yesterday, Gallant put Nosek in the same breath as Bellemare in terms of always being on the right side of the puck.
"He did a real good job for us tonight and that’s the way he plays every night. He doesn’t cheat, he plays a solid game," said Gallant. "You can count on him being in the right place at the right time. He is an important penalty killer for us and he’s a good guy when you’ve got the lead."
I've seen enough of Nosek now to concur. While his ceiling probably remains unremarkable, he is a useful NHL player.
I'll be honest, I questioned keeping Nosek early in season, but his hustle, defensive smarts & work below dots are real
Reilly Smith and Bellemare continued to show off the instant PK chemistry that they've enjoyed since the pre-season.
They're both quick and smart on the puck, but they also know when to back off, take a solid defensive posture, and let the other forward chase. Essentially, they alternate the aggressor role on the wedge +1 to a "T."
(Wedge + 1 penalty kill consists of one forward and two defenders forming a tight triangle in the "home plate" area. The other forward attacks the power play on the perimeter, hoping to disrupt passing lanes and cause turnovers.)
Smith was referring to Bellemare here, but he may as well have been talking about himself, "He's just a smart player. A lot of penalty kill is hockey sense and working hard. He does both of those things really well.
"If he's in on the forecheck, he does a great job staying above two guys all the time. So he's not getting caught for odd-man rushes.
"Seems like we're creating a lot of pressure."
Brad Hunt made a good account for himself, especially with gaining the zone on the power play.
Karlsson PP goal set up by Hunt entry. Notice how he times his drop pass for when PK has set their feet, which allows for easier zone entry pic.twitter.com/qEJ5wqGjFb
The Hunt-run "second" power play unit was once again far crisper in their zone entries and puck movement than the top group. Perhaps the blueliner deserves a promotion?
I also loved this key defensive stop that Hunt made in the final frame:
The 5'9" blueliner is not usually recognized for his defense, but he gives a full effort there every night. And it takes more than effort to disrupt a Patrick Kane charge.
In his first NHL start, Oscar Dansk was rock-solid, stopping 29 of 31 shots. In particular, his rebound control seemed on point.
Minuses
Punctuated by a Nate Schmidt first period turnover which led to a John Hayden shortie, the first power play unit of David Perron-Jonathan Marchessault-James Neal-Brendan Leipsic-Schmidt was fairly quiet.
Of course, Marchessault broke through on the power play in the final frame, but his goal came with an interesting wrinkle, as Luca Sbisa was inserted in favor of Leipsic on the top unit. This is the same Sbisa who played a total of 21:57 on the man advantage over the last four seasons. In fairness to Sbisa, before 2013-14, he did take a consistent PP shift, and here, he intercepted a free Lance Bouma clear, keeping the puck in for what would become the Marchessault dagger (and it was Schmidt who executed the pretty cross-ice feed to the forward no less).
But at the very least, all this suggests some unrest with the Golden Knights' number-one power play unit. We'll see what Gallant has up his sleeve at 10:30 AM practice on Thursday. I'll say both Alex Tuch and Hunt have made a case for a look with the big boys.
Vegas is back this Friday for a true Admiral Ackbar match against the visiting Colorado Avalanche. In honor of Nevada Day, it's a 3 pm faceoff. The Golden Knights will recognize Nevada Day by wearing their road jerseys for a home game celebrating their home state.
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