Malcolm Subban made 35 saves in his second consecutive start, but the Vegas Golden Knights couldn’t offer him any help, losing 3-0 to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Monday.
Tyson Jost, Andrew Agozzino and Matt Calvert scored for Colorado. Vegas was shut out for the second time this season, thanks to a 40-save performance by Semyon Varlamov.
The Golden Knights started off strong in Denver, applying plenty of pressure and shots at Varlamov. However, a turnover in the defensive zone due to the mishandling of the puck by Colin Miller and Jon Merrill caught Subban off-guard, and Jost’s turnaround shot beat the backup netminder for the 1-0 lead at 6:36 of the first.
Vegas tried to rebound after that mistake, and was close to tying the game up at 8:27 of the first period, but Varlamov made a series of highlight-reel pad saves to keep his team ahead.
Colorado took the momentum from the first period and applied the pressure to Vegas, firing a multitude of shots at Subban. The Avalanche extended their lead as Agozzino scored his first NHL goal at 5:47 of the second, thanks to a deflection from Gabriel Landeskog.
The assist was Landeskog’s 400th point in the NHL. Nathan MacKinnon was also credited with a helper.
The Golden Knights were not able to finish their chances on the Avalanche netminder, and began to show their frustrations at the end of the second period, with Alex Tuch and Max Pacioretty getting into a shoving contest with Avalanche defensemen, Nikita Zadorov.
Vegas would begin the final period with an early power play just 30 seconds in, thanks to an interference call on Samuel Girard, but the Golden Knights couldn’t convert. Calvert’s deflection at 6:53 of the third period was the final dagger.
The goal was under review due to the puck seeming to hit off of Calvert’s glove, yet the call on the ice stood, putting an end to Vegas’ chance of coming back.
Agozzino would get his first NHL assist on the goal, his second point of the night, with Matt Nieto also contributing.
The Golden Knights were granted another power play not long after the third goal of the game, with Varlamov making a series of great saves to keep the team off the board. Vegas finished 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.
The Avalanche continued to create chances to increase their lead, yet Malcolm Subban had other plans. The backup did his best to prevent a blowout, using his athleticism to make an absolutely amazing save against Landeskog late in the third at 7:19.
It was not enough, however, as Varlamov continued to play excellent and get the shutout for Colorado.
Vegas lost for the eighth time in 11 games, 48 hours after defeating the Nashville Predators 5-1 at home.
The Golden Knights will travel back home to host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.