LAS VEGAS -- Traditionally, the final pre-season game is a tune-up for opening night, with teams fielding close to their best line-ups. The San Jose Sharks did not get that memo.
Biggest "name" players dressing for San Jose #VGK tilt appear to be Joel Ward and Mikkel Bodeker
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 1, 2017
Despite this, San Jose cut down the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3. But it's just pre-season, right? 'Tis but a scratch.
The expansion Golden Knights play their first-ever regular season game this Friday in Dallas.
Winning Play
A heady stick and outstanding hustle from the AHL rookie on the speedy Miller.
Pluses
William Karlsson was a force in all three zones tonight, making pretty passes, winning puck battles, and doing some solid work on the kill.
"He plays a two-way game," concurred Coach Gerard Gallant. "I like the way that he plays and competes. He’s a good solid hockey player and that’s what he’s been throughout his career in Columbus."
While the power play failed to cash in once again -- they're now zero for their last 21 -- there was more consistency in their puck movement and zone entries than last Thursday's goose egg against the Avs.
In particular, Vegas found zone entry success with the neutral zone drop pass to speed coming from behind -- a now-common power play breakout these days.
"It's hard to stop when executed correctly," said Shea Theodore of this tactic. "I felt like tonight, we weren't as sharp as we could've been, but I thought our power play was much better tonight."
Also, this happened:
Postgame: Steve Aoki meets his favorite player (Jason Garrison). pic.twitter.com/AWOWZeenMM
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 2, 2017
Garrison did not know that he was Aoki's favorite player. "I better step up my game," he laughed.
The blueliner certainly loves his tunes -- Garrison discussed his admiration for Coldplay last June -- also noting this was not the first time that he had met the celebrated DJ.
Minuses
Allowing two short-handed breakaways to the same forward -- Marcus Sorensen, who played 19 games with the Sharks last year -- is certainly less than ideal.
Sorensen scored on his first shorthanded breakaway in the opening frame, but his second breakaway was also impactful despite Marc-Andre Fleury's stop, coming with about five minutes left in the tilt, his team up a goal, Vegas on their final power play of the game. This bid forced the Golden Knights' top power play unit off the ice.
"Sometimes, it's difficult in the pre-season because you don't know a lot of the guys," acknowledged Garrison.
Gallant agreed, "I don’t know very much about him at all. He’s a dangerous player. We’ll know about him next game."
So Sorensen certainly benefited from a element of surprise that the pre-season affords. This also speaks to how inward a team's focus is during training camp.
Theodore and Garrison also gave interesting answers about how aware they are, in general, of the other team's speed while manning the point on a power play.
"Not really thinking about it," offered the 22-year-old. "We're worried about our own power play, our own guys out there."
Whereas the vet stated, "You're aware for sure. They're little things you learn from moving forward."
Gallant bemoaned the lack of a 60-minute game from his charges tonight.
"Overall, I thought we played a really good first half of the game," observed the Golden Knights head coach. "I thought San Jose took it to us a little bit in the second half of the game."
This is reflected by the underlying stats:
Anyway, the pre-season is over! On to more important matters this Tuesday, when the Golden Knights announce their opening night roster.
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