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The Vegas Golden Knights fended off a three-goal surge by the Ottawa Senators in the final 25 minutes of the game but was able to secure a 5-4 victory Thursday, Nov. 3.
The late-surge was led by Ottawa forward Claude Giroux who was responsible for the first two Senator goals.
At one point in this game, Vegas led by a score of 5-1.
“Two points and we move on,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They’re not all going to be perfect.”
On the surface, it looks like goalie Logan Thompson had a rough night between the pipes.
However, he did make 42 saves on 46 shots faced which was good for a final save percentage of .913. The 42 saves is a career high for Thompson, who also notched his sixth win of the season which is tied for second among active NHL goalies.
It was not the prettiest of performances from the VGK group but much like it has done for the majority of these first 12 games, they found a way to win.
“It wasn’t our best effort overall,” forward Nicolas Roy said. “But we found a way to win.”
With the win, Vegas improved to 10-2-0 on the year and picked up its 20th point of the season. The Knights still hold the top spot in the Pacific Division.
The next time the Golden Knights will be on the ice is on Saturday as they continue their five-game East coast road trip. Saturday’s matchup is against the Montreal Canadiens. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. PST and can be seen on AT&T Sportsnet in Las Vegas and on ESPN+ nationwide.
Center Jack Eichel did pick up his 13th point of the season when he assisted on a goal from defenseman Zach Whitecloud that pushed the VGK lead out to 3-1 in the first period.
Vegas also went 1-for-4 on the power play. Coming into tonight’s game, the Knights had only converted on 20.6 percent of their power play opportunities which ranked 20th in the league.
Vegas captain Mark Stone led the offensive attack for the Knights with a goal and an assist for a two-point night. He has racked up three two-point games through the first four weeks of the season.
“Two points, we’re 10-2 and off to a great start,” Stone said. “Come April, they’re not going to ask how we won this game.”
Games like tonight are good reminders that hockey is a 60-minute game and that closing a game out on the road can be difficult in the NHL.
“They’re not all going to be pretty,” Cassidy said. “We’re not a 60-minute team yet, I don’t think there’s any team in the league that’s a 60-minute team yet so we have to take the positives.”