Emotional player introductions with first responders. Fleury and Subban here #VGK #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/f1OLIW3Dfj
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2017
Unforgettable 58 seconds of silence for Las Vegas terror attack victims #VGK
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2017
Deryk Engelland had a special message for his neighbors – the people of Las Vegas – before the @GoldenKnights opener. #VegasStrong pic.twitter.com/pGGeg5gCyc
— NHL (@NHL) October 11, 2017
And of course, just two minutes in...
I'll be honest, that Nosek goal gave me chills #VGK
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2017
Las Vegas adopted son Deryk Engelland, who potted 4 goals last yr (and 22 over 9-yr career), just scored. Can't make it up #VGK #VegasStrong
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2017
Why do sports matter? If you were there for these 30 minutes, from pre-game ceremonies to the Engelland goal, you might never ask the question again.
Winning Play
Nosek's marker set the tone, but as the saying goes, it takes a village to score a goal:
And where is Nosek when Carrier feeds Sbisa?
The Czech rookie, who had tracked Derek Stepan down low on the Coyotes rush, outhustles Stepan and Domi up the ice, just as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare spins by Niklas Hjarmarsson, who is perhaps too tight on him. Then, the hard-charging Nosek catches Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- of all people -- flat-footed.
"I just tried not to lose the puck on the blueline," noted the balletic Bellemare. "I see [Hjarmarsson] coming on the right side, so I figured I should spin to the left to keep the puck. Nosy comes full speed."
Every Golden Knight on the ice, save Fleury, touched the puck on this play.
Pluses
The youthful Coyotes never had a chance.
Two minutes after the Engelland strike, James Neal scored again for the Golden Knights. Antti Raanta, who appeared rattled, was pulled after allowing three goals in 6:15 on five shots. Four minutes later, Neal beat Louis Domingue on the power play -- four goals in 10:42 for Vegas.
If destiny didn't have a hand here, you could've fooled me.
However, Arizona had its shot to get back into the game, as they earned a power play with about five minutes left in the opening frame, down 4-1.
But faceoff wins by Cody Eakin and Bellemare, active sticks from Eakin, Bellemare, and Reilly Smith, and sound work down low from Engelland, Sbisa, and Brayden McNabb stopped the desperate visitors from garnering even one legitimate scoring chance on this opportunity. They even forced an icing.
"When you know your system and everybody plays the same way, it's almost like you have an extra guy, so it's almost like you're playing 5-on-5," indicated Bellemare. "For just three games, guys understand the system really well.
"Bounces are going our way too and our goaltender has been unbelievable."
The Coyotes never got any closer for the rest of the night.
Speaking of a rock-solid defensive effort, just like Saturday in Glendale, Vegas locked down Arizona in the middle frame:
ARI didn't threaten until last min. If you can believe it, 2nd was #VGK's best pd so far: 19-12 5v5 Corsi, 8-4 chances, 2-1 high-danger
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 11, 2017
"When you’re a hard-working, backchecking team and you’re a hard-working, reloading team, we call that a reloading team, then you’re going to have good success," noted Gerard Gallant. "I like the way we try to play a five-man system in all three zones, and so far, it’s worked."
Finally, Brendan Leipsic, who has filled in ably for Vadim Shipachyov on the Golden Knights' top power play unit, broke through on the scoreboard.
He had been struggling with puck management at 5v5.
In the first two games of the season, he had a forwards-worst seven giveaways (five at evens). While giveaways are a somewhat dubious stat, seven in two games is eye-popping, considering that the next-worst Golden Knights forwards had two going into tonight.
So a breakout two-assist game from the promising prospect, who has dominated the AHL for the last three seasons, must have been a sigh of relief.
"I've been an offensive guy, my whole career. Not really sure how it would translate to the NHL," admitted Leipsic. "But I think if I keep working hard and I keep competing, bounces will start to go my way, and I'll be able to make a couple more plays. Get more confidence."
It doesn't get much prettier than this:
Holy hell what an effort & what a pass by Leipsic pic.twitter.com/NyNbHYeRII
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 11, 2017
Leipsic gains the zone and challenges Kevin Connauton in the middle. Connauton hands him off to Lawson Crouse, but the 5'10 forward slips the 6'4" Crouse, flashing great vision to find Oscar Lindberg for the slam dunk.
Minuses
Frankly, the Coyotes were terrible. From blown coverages to sloppy breakouts to shoddy netminding, they played less than NHL-caliber hockey tonight.
Even Rick Tocchet admitted as much, "I don’t know if we’re in shape to be honest with you.
"That’s the one thing that disappoints me, the effort in some parts of that game. Not by a lot of guys, for five or six guys, the effort wasn’t there, and it’s hard to play [that way] in the NHL."
Vegas will face much-sharper opponents as they attempt to build on their record-breaking 3-0 expansion start. Their next game, once again at T-Mobile Arena, is Friday against Detroit.
***
++++I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR ADVERTISERS! If you, or anyone you know would be interested in placing an ad here at HockeyBuzz, then send me a PM!++++