Vegas Golden Knights: Max Pacioretty Shines In Preseason Debut

Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty gives us a glimpse of what’s to come in a 7-2 preseason rout over the Arizona Coyotes.

We have some good news and some bad news. The good news is Vegas Golden Knights hockey is finally back! However, the bad news is its just preseason hockey. Preseason hockey is without a doubt the biggest tease of the year.

But we have a Golden Knights game to talk about, and we have a lot to discuss. The Vegas Golden Knights slammed the Arizona Coyotes in the first preseason action of the year by the score of 7-2. It wasn’t a perfect effort by any stretch, but the offensive outburst out of the shoot was certainly promising.

The Golden Knights gave their fans plenty to cheer about right out of the gate as Jonathan Marchessault scored just 16 seconds into the game.  That sounds like vintage Golden Knights hockey from last season to me. The onslaught continued as play went on in the first period.

Max Pacioretty got on the scoresheet for the first time as he assisted on Jake Bischoff’s bullet from the point. However, the New Canaan, Connecticut native wasn’t done yet.  Pacioretty continued his solid showing with a power play goal that got the fans jumping out of their seats.

The 29-year old expressed to the media that he loved Vegas when he first came here as in opposing player with the Montreal Canadiens. He seems genuinely excited and thrilled to be in a growing hockey market. He was also really impressed with the showing of support for a preseason contest.

Pacioretty ended up as the game’s number two star as he finished with the eventual game-winning goal, one assist, two shots and two hits in 14:40 of TOI. If this is what Golden Knights fans are in for then, this could be another special season for the NHL’s newest franchise.

The Golden Knights prospects even stood out, especially Erik Brannstrom. Brannstrom still has work to do in his defensive end, no doubt. However, Brannstrom is showing what he could on the blue line from an offensive standpoint.

Brannstrom drew two calls that resulted in Golden Knights power plays. He also scored a power-play goal and added an assist on the man advantage as well. Maybe, just maybe, if Shea Theodore doesn’t resign in time before the regular season begins, with a strong performance, Brannstrom could step in and take over a role on the team.

All in all, a solid showing with a lot of bright spots during the first preseason action for the Vegas Golden Knights. Up next is game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. Puck drop is on Tuesday at 6 pm ET. The game will be available on NHL Network when its joined in progress after the Maple Leafs and Senators game is finished.