The Vegas Golden Knights opened their four-game road trip with a 4-0 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The game was the first time the Golden Knights have been to Toronto since November 2019 as they fell to 0-2-2 against Maple Leafs in Toronto.
Vegas came into the game with another significant injury, this time to original misfit William Karlsson. Due to the injury, Vegas claimed Michael Amadio from Toronto on Saturday and he made his Golden Knight debut against his old team.
Due to the slew of injuries, the Golden Knights lineup was almost completely unrecognizable tonight.
Robin Lehner was excellent and kept the Golden Knights in the game for as long as he could, but the Maple Leafs star players were able to eventually break through.
The Maple Leafs got out to an extremely hot start and in continued throughout the period.
Toronto completely outplayed Vegas in the first period as they out-scoring chanced the Golden Knights 16-1 via Natural Stat Trick.
Near the end of the period, the Maple Leafs got on the board with a beautiful goal from Mitch Marner. Marner was fed a pass from Auston Mathews in the slot and hit circle in-front of Lehner. Marner slotted it passed Lehner without giving him a chance.
Puts a spin on it! Mitch Marner’s got MOVES. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Cs4gvZZp9H
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 2, 2021
It was more of the same in the second period as the Golden Knights struggled to get any kind of offense generated and the Maple Leafs finally broke through Lehner.
The Golden Knights had two power plays in the period, but the drought bubbled to 0-17. And then eventually went to 0-for-18.
Mathews got on the board twice in the period with a rocket of a wrist shot on the power play and a deflection passed Lehner in the dying moments of the period.
William Nylander got on the board early in the third period with a wrist shot that beat Lehner’s far side.
What more needs to be said here? The Golden Knights are one injury away from throwing you or me out on a fourth line. Vegas is in Ottawa on Thursday to face the Senators.