This was a mark that the Golden Knights were more on the ball in Game Two: Their ability to step up and pick off a number of Jets stretch passes.
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Textbook work here.
Nate Schmidt is credited for the pick, but it's the up-ice pressure which forces it.
Both William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault converge on Josh Morrissey, who appears to want Kyle Connor at the blueline.
"If you're putting pressure on them, everybody's going to make mistakes in games," observed Gerard Gallant.
Ryan Carpenter added, "We just try to be a five-man unit all over the ice. If the forwards are working harder, it allows our D to stay up on plays."
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I wrote about this Colin Miller interception in my Game Two recap:
Tomas Nosek would force Tobias Enstrom to go D to D, problem being Dustin Byfuglien follows with a flat-footed stretch pass which is jumped by Colin Miller.
Miller's gap control makes this play.
"We got away from our gaps [in Game One] and clogging up the neutral zone," admitted Brayden McNabb. "That's something we'll have to continue to do, have good gaps. Limit their chances of getting into the zone."
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This is an unforced error by Patrik Laine, who's looking to have fun with Bryan Little. That said, aggressive gap by a Vegas defenseman, this time, Shea Theodore. He can stay almost in front of Little because he has the speed to recover if the pass sneaks through.
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I can't decide if Jacob Trouba misses Adam Lowry at center ice or if he's trying to hit Andrew Copp. Regardless, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is in the right place at the right time, right on top of Lowry and in front of Copp.
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It's Bellemare again.
With just three minutes left in the game and down two goals, Morrissey has to take some chances. But it's just another example of the Knights being on their game defensively.
The result? A frustrated Winnipeg can't get its vaunted transition game going, while Vegas has a chance to fire up its own counterattack. Good defense is the best offense, as they say.
McNabb agreed, "If you can turn pucks over, our transition game is outstanding."
Another result? The Jets begin to attempt "hope" passes, which can be deadly when they work, but are called "hope" plays for a reason.
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As I wrote in my Game Two recap:
William Karlsson would make Enstrom brace for a hit that was never coming. At this point, there's so little space, Winnipeg is trying "hope" area passes. Schmidt steps in front of the floater.
All this plays into the Golden Knights' hands.
"I thought we were quicker and we were faster and we were more competitive," remarked Gallant.
Anyway, Schmidt started this highlight reel, so it's appropriate that he closes it.
McNabb was effusive in his praise of his partner's work in Game Two, "Schmitty was outstanding last night at stepping up, he had a great stick, gaps were outstanding. He played a great game."
We'll see if the Knights can repeat this performance tonight.
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McNabb also added about the team's penalty kill, which was under fire in Game One after allowing two goals, "We limited high-end scoring chances. They obviously got one from a different angle.
"First game, myself in particular, didn't do a good job of clearing pucks, which allowed time to keep o-zone time.
"We were able to bear down on our chances to get the puck down."
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David Perron was a surprise scratch for Game Two. The guess was injury suffered in Game One or illness.
He returned to the ice for morning skate today, but wouldn't divulge his status:
If it goes according to form, Perron will not play tonight, as he was skating with the scratches to close morning skate. That group includes Maxime Lagace, Brad Hunt, Jon Merrill, and Oscar Lindberg.
Speaking of Lagace, Malcolm Subban missed practice today and is considered day-to-day by Gallant. So we'll see Lagace suit up behind Marc-Andre Fleury tonight.
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