Vegas Embarrasses Colorado 7-0; Perron, Nosek & Carrier Play Winning Hockey (william carrier)

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Vegas Embarrasses Colorado 7-0; Perron, Nosek & Carrier Play Winning Hockey

By Sheng Peng

Oct 30, 2017 • 1:35 pm

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LAS VEGAS -- For days, I could hear Admiral Ackbar's voice everywhere...

This contest against the Colorado Avalanche was a classic trap game: 3 PM start, weaker opponent, coming off a pair of emotional victories against top teams, last tilt of an already-successful homestand.

And of course, the Vegas Golden Knights routed the Avs 7-0.

"I prepare my team the same way every game. We’re not going to start sitting back playing against anybody," said Gallant, when asked how he prepared his squad against a potential letdown. "This was our last game in the homestand. We talked about finishing off in style."

It's just another record for the 8-1 Golden Knights: They're the first expansion team to achieve a five-game winning streak.

Winning Play

Deep into this affair, Colorado was outplaying Vegas. No, really.

About halfway into the second period, the Avs were outshooting the Knights 18-7.

"We probably played 50 minutes of real good hockey tonight," noted Gallant. "We had a little bit of struggle for 10 or 12 minutes [in the second]."

But then...

Perron was rightfully enamored with his beautiful breakaway finish, "I think it's a little bit of a classic move by me. Fake shot, go backhand. I've done that a couple times."

However, it was also his own defensive anticipation which set up his offense.

"We were putting pressure from behind the other way. It was getting tighter and tighter in the zone. [Yakupov] had to make a decision; I knew he was going to have to," said Perron. "It's a little bit of a risk, knowing to stay in there, making you sure you have your skate lined up, and the blade of your stick lined up so [the pass] doesn't go through you easily.

"He's going to have to make a perfect pass. I don't know if he missed or what it was."

This would open up the floodgates, as Perron, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, and James Neal would combine for four unanswered goals in 9:26 to give Vegas a commanding 4-0 lead to finish the middle frame.

Pluses

Lindberg deserved the spotlight for his artful 2-0 goal, which Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun called the best goal in Golden Knights history:

But also of some import on this play was more solid Tomas Nosek work. Lindberg and Nosek form the third-choice penalty-killng forwards for Gallant; with seconds left on a Colorado power play, leading by just a goal, Nosek stood up Sven Andrighetto at the blueline:

The Lindberg strike counted as an unassisted even strength marker, but undoubtedly, Nosek deserved an assist for his shorthanded hustle.

Obviously, when you win 7-0, there are a lot of pluses and winning plays. Oscar Dansk's shutout. Neal taking a high stick in the OZ after perhaps goal-saving DZ defense. This play, however, more than any, exemplified the Golden Knights' winning spirit:

Minuses

Colorado dominated about 10 minutes in the second period, but otherwise, didn't look much different than the embarrassing cellar-dweller from last year. The errors, forced or unforced, didn't stop after Yakupov and Andrighetto's offensive blueline turnovers.

For good measure, Erik Haula and Carrier would add some more cherries on top.

Anyway, after a 6-1 homestand, these Vegas vagabonds head out on a six-game Eastern road trip. First up are the Islanders in Brooklyn this Monday.

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