Backed by a three-point performance for Max Pacioretty, the Vegas Golden Knights took a 3-1 series lead over Elias Pettersson and the Vancouver Canucks. Despite Pettersson's best efforts, the Golden Knights took Game Four by a score of 5-3. A big third period comeback for the VGK leaves the Canucks on the verge of having their bubble busted.
Pacioretty opened the scoring, with a laser of a shot on the power play. Unfortunately for him, Pettersson scored a PPG of his own less than two minutes later. It took a mere 2:04 for the Golden Knights to get their lead back. Chandler Stephenson found the net on a nice give-and-go with his dynamic defenseman, Shea Theodore.
Vancouver came out strong in the second period, erasing the Golden Knights' 2-1 lead. Bo Horvat and Tyler Toffoli (PPG) goals gave the Canucks their first (and last) lead of the night, mid-way through the second period. They'd finish the second ahead, but it would be very short-lived.
Nate Schmidt tickled the twine just 2:52 into the third period, knotting the game back up at three goals apiece. All three members of the electric Cousins-Roy-Tuch line won a board battle. Jon Merrill - playing in his first game of the postseason - sent the puck to Schmidt, who buried the one-timer.
Riding the momentum of the Schmidt goal, Pacioretty took the lead back, netting a beautiful redirection goal, with Chris Tanev literally all over him. It was a big time play, by a big time player. He may be on the "wrong side" of 30, but he's still got it.
R2, Gm4: Max Pacioretty deflects Nate Schmidt's pass in off his stick, giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead with his second goal of the game
He'd go on to show off his playmaking on William Karlsson's goal. Off a broken play he chased the puck down to the corner and sent a beautiful centering pass to Karlsson. Wild Bill didn't miss it, picking up the redirection for an insurance marker. The 5-3 lead held up through the Canucks' final push.
As the second game of a back-to-back, Marc-Andre Fleury was called upon by Head Coach Pete DeBoer, staying true to his pledge to use both netminders. The win pushed Fleury's 2020 playoff record to 3-0-0 in relief of Robin Lehner. With both goalies happy and winning, below are a few of the biggest takeaways from the game.
DeBoer Ain't Scared:
As he has stressed all along, DeBoer used Fleury on the back half of a back-to-back, even with Lehner posting a shut out on Saturday night. He's made it clear he trusts both goalies and doesn't need simply to ride one. In San Jose he lived and died by Martin Jones and it looks like he's adjusted, although Jones' backup Aaron Dell is no Fleury impersonator.
In addition to the Fleury start, DeBoer made a change on defense, inserting Merrill back into the lineup, opposite Zach Whitecloud. He and Whitecloud posted a 5-on-5 Corsi For % in the 60s this season and he was finally subbed back in for Nick Holden. The pending-UFA Merrill moves better and seems to provide more upside than Holden, who has actually already inked his own contract extension.
Whitecloud's Progression:
Throughout training camp, Whitecloud would regularly refer to his two-way game and his pride in it. He didn't see himself as a stay-at-home defenseman and through two playoff rounds, it's easy to see why. The 23-year-old d-man has made good decisions on when/when not to pinch into the offensive zone, has shown a good shot, and is begging to exude confidence on the ice. If the RHD's progression continues, he'll be a sure second pair defenseman, with first pair (1b) upside.
Pacioretty is Focused:
Pacioretty wasn't a Golden Knight during the inaugural season, therefore missing out on their Stanley Cup run and finals visit in 2017-18. He's hungry to go to his first Stanley Cup final and now that he's getting back to 100%, he's making a definite impact. His goal-scoring instincts carry him, but he's even harder to deal with when he chips in with other contributions. He's playing the body, looking for passes, and giving the Golden Knights a scary top line.
Together with Stone and Karlsson, the man they call Patches will be a big reason why IF the Golden Knights advance. He may not be the biggest name on the team, thanks to guys like Fleury, Stone, and Stastny, but he's a real solid presence with leadership experience. The VGK have a great group of leaders, Patches being one of them.
This Team is Deep:
In all four games of this series, the Golden Knights have rolled a Top 9 that few teams can rival. Their third line featuring Cousins, Roy, and, Tuch continues to wreak havoc for Vancouver, posting sparkling metrics. Through 12 playoff games, that trio paces the Golden Knights in CF%, all coming in above 62%. When they're on the ice, the puck is in the opposition's end and that's a recipe for success.
Reaves and Carrier, Wrecking Crew:
It's no secret among the VGK faithful, that William Carrier and Ryan Reaves love to bang bodies. They've combined for 110 hits in 12 games. Amazingly, they have only taken four minor penalties - two apiece - and have been hit a futile 24 times. While they lack goal-scoring finish, which you need in the playoffs, their new linemate Stephenson gives them some legitimate offensive upside.
If the Canucks allow Reaves and Carrier to continue to get their way and abuse them on the boards, they will lose the series and go home with a few more bruises than they entered the bubble with. This Vegas team looks ready for a long run while the young, potentially overmatched Canucks squad may be running out of bubble time.
Game Five of the Western Conference semifinal comes on Tuesday evening, with Vegas acting as the home team inside the Rodgers Place. The table has been set for the second Conference Final in three seasons and now it's all on the run-and-gun Golden Knights to see it to fruition.
In the meantime, you catch me on Twitter to stay up-to-date on your VGK news.
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