Mitch Marner and Carter Hart were roster additions with differing degrees of fan excitement around them, but both were pivotal players for the Vegas Golden Knights in the final stop of this road trip.
Mitch Marner and Carter Hart were roster additions with differing degrees of fan excitement around them, but both were pivotal players for the Vegas Golden Knights in the final stop of this road trip.
On Saturday, the Golden Knights secured a sweet ending to one of the best East Coast swings in recent memory, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2.
After starting out hot, the Blue Jackets got out to an early lead on a quick-developing play. Zach Werenski was able to find Charlie Coyle with a free lane to the net, and the forward launched a shot that picked the corner above Hart’s right shoulder. It resulted in the first time all road trip where the Golden Knights conceded the first goal of the game.
Needing a push to get back in the game, the Golden Knights would get an opportunity in the first minute of the second period. Seeing a look they liked, Mitch Marner was able to find Pavel Dorofeyev alone on the doorstep of Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves. Dorofeyev made no mistake at point blank range to tie Tomas Hertl for the team lead with 13 goals on the season.
The Golden Knights would dodge a bullet a few minutes later, successfully challenging for offsides to nullify an Ivan Provorov goal that would have retaken the lead for Columbus.
However, the Blue Jackets would find the lead again in the third period. Failing to clear the puck out of their zone, Yegor Chinakhov was able to circle around the entire Vegas defense. He then fired a puck off the crossbar and past Hart into the net, giving Columbus a lead again.
Little over a minute later, the Golden Knights would answer back. Marner would make another excellent play, this time finding Ben Hutton with a lane down the ice. Hutton would fire a laser past Greaves, scoring his fourth goal to tie him with Shea Theodore for the lead among Vegas defensemen.
Late in the third period, the Golden Knights would finally claim their first lead of the game. Marner made another excellent pass to find Brayden McNabb, who launched a perfect shot past Greaves towards the top of the net for his first goal of the season.
The Golden Knights would survive the majority of a McNabb double minor to close out the game and secure two more points on the road trip.
Hart put together his best effort of the season, stopping 26 of 28 shots to secure his third victory in four games with the Golden Knights.
Vegas is now in sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with the victory, and they will hope to keep up the momentum from this road trip when they return to T-Mobile Arena to face the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.
Category: General Sports
