The Vegas Golden Knights’ winning streak came to an end Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena as the Pittsburgh Penguins handed them a 4-3 loss.
Much like Saturday, the Knights found themselves trailing 3-0, and just like Saturday, Paul Stastny made it a 3-2 game in the second period. Both teams scored another goal in the third, but the Knights were unable to complete the rally.
Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist scored for Pittsburgh in the first period, and Dominik Kahun converted on the power play just over four minutes into the middle frame to put Pittsburgh up by three. Roughly three minutes later, Max Pacioretty netted his 19th of the season to get Vegas going, and Stastny followed suit on the man advantage later in the frame.
The puck deflects off Letang, goes right to Pacioretty and he lets it fly.
19th of the year for 67.#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/ntEm8jQmez
— Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) January 8, 2020
He made it 3-2 on Saturday.
He makes it 3-2 tonight.
Assists to Theodore and Stone on Stastny’s 12th goal of the year.#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/1FbCO0EGqJ
— Knights On Ice (@knightsonice) January 8, 2020
Though Pittsburgh regained the two-goal lead early in the third, the Knights cut the deficit once again as Reilly Smith scored at 12:45 of the period.
A penalty against Malkin gave the Golden Knights a great power-play opportunity, but Vegas couldn’t make it work, resulting in the team’s first loss in 2020.
Marc-Andre Fleury made just 12 saves on 16 shots against his former team. This is the fewest shots the Golden Knights have allowed in a loss in franchise history, which is a new record. This also means, however, that Fleury has given up four goals total in each of the last three games.
When the season first started, Gerard Gallant said that Fleury could play every game if he sat out of practices (which we took as a joke). He came in hot during his first four starts in this seven-game home stretch, but maybe those consecutive starts are taking its toll.
Recently, the Golden Knights goalie has stated that though he was named to the NHL All-Star team, he would be electing to sit out the game (and thus incurring an automatic one-game suspension per NHL rules). Though some fans are upset, perhaps this couldn’t come at a better time for the Canadian. After the loss of his father, he was quick to come back to the ice. Perhaps the break would give him a chance to grieve and mend, not to mention spend time with his family.
That being said, we haven’t heard much out of Malcolm Subban, and he has to be itching to get back between the pipes. Perhaps we’ll see him on Thursday, or maybe even more on the road once the Golden Knights begin their almost-month-long tour?
The Golden Knights continue playing host as they welcome the Kings to T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.