Vegas Golden Knights: Tuch answers the bell, other takeaways
Alex Tuch emerged as the hero the Vegas Golden Knights needed following their big 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday at PNC Arena.
Awarded a power play with minutes remaining, Tuch was in the right place at the right time to slam home the game-winner and give the Vegas Golden Knights a huge two points.
The slate was wiped clean for Vegas after the bye week and, under new Head Coach Peter DeBoer, they bucked the trend of getting off to sluggish starts by dominating the first period against the Canes.
They outshot their hosts 16-6 and got on the board twice thanks to Paul Stastny and Jonathan Marchessault.
More from Vegas Hockey Knight
- The moment the Vegas Golden Knights have been waiting for
- 3 Golden Knights players deserving of the Conn Smythe Trophy
- If Golden Knights win Stanley Cup, who should Mark Stone pass it to first?
- Why are Vegas Golden Knights fans obsessed with flamingos?
- Just one more game for Golden Knight supremacy
As was to be expected, Carolina did fight back in the second period and they gave themselves a lifeline thanks to Teuvo Teravainen, who collected a loose puck in-front of the net before beating Malcolm Subban.
Nate Schmidt started the transition out of the zone for his team before joining the rush and finishing off a feed from Chandler Stephenson to put Vegas back in the driving seat.
However, as has often been the case this year, the Golden Knights began to implode as their inability to play a complete 60-minute game threatened to hurt them again.
First, Brock McGinn fired a wrister past Malcolm Subban before Sebastian Aho converted on the power play to make it a tied game.
The momentum seemed to be in Carolina’s favor but Aho went from hero to villain as he went to the box for two minutes for hooking leading to a Vegas power play.
And Aho and the Canes were punished when the Golden Knights landed the knockout blow just five seconds into the man advantage, Stastny redirecting a Shea Theodore shot into the path of Tuch who buried the game-winner.
It was a big win for the Vegas Golden Knights and we had a handful of takeaways from the contest…
1. Tuch answers the bell
It hasn’t been a vintage year for Alex Tuch who has regressed somewhat, despite breaking out in 2018-19 with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 74 games.
Of course, two upper-body injuries suffered earlier on during the regular season hasn’t helped Tuch’s cause, with the forward really struggling to settle in a groove on the third line.
Through 35 games Tuch had recorded six goals and seven assists for 14 points prior to Friday night, which resembles very much a down year for the wing.
However, with the game on his stick, Tuch truly delivered for the Vegas Golden Knights when they needed him most.
On the power play with minutes remaining, Tuch got to the front of the net and was on hand to finish off a redirection from Paul Stastny who had expertly guided Shea Theodore’s shot to the net.
It was a huge moment for both the Knights and Tuch, and hopefully this will act as a spark for both player and team down the stretch.
2. Knights get it done by committee
This was a big, big, big win for the Vegas Golden Knights and they had a number of players to thank for helping them collect two points.
First there was Malcolm Subban who, despite coming in cold, stepped up to the plate and gave his team a chance to win.
Subban stopped 22 of the 25 shots fired at him and the highlight of the night for the backup goalie was a sublime pad save to rob Sebastian Aho in the second period with the Carolina Hurricanes on the power play.
Then there was the likes of Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault, who both recorded two point nights as did Paul Stastny who recorded the primary assist on Alex Tuch’s game-winner.
While Smith and Marchessault have both been reliable all year, Stastny has struggled for periods of the regular season but he answered the bell and so did defenseman Nate Schmidt, who chipped in with a goal.
Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore also contributed a point to the Vegas cause, and the Golden Knights will need everyone pulling in the same direction down the stretch in order to live up to their potential and achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
This was a huge win for the Vegas Golden Knights and they achieved it by everyone stepping up to the plate and doing their bit.
3. Progression on show
As we have covered in quite some depth on this site, the Vegas Golden Knights are not without flaws this year.
They have been plagued by inconsistency and they also have the tendency to implode in games and not put that killer instinct to good use.
It was on show a lot prior to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game and the Knights’ inability to play a complete 60-minute game threatened to rear its ugly head again against the Carolina Hurricanes.
After Nate Schmidt made it a 3-1 game at 12:09 in the third period, it looked like the Golden Knights would cruise to the finishing line.
However, in typical Vegas fashion this year, they imploded as Carolina landed two quick blows to make it a tied game thanks to Brock McGinn and Sebastian Aho.
At this point, you could have been forgiven for fearing the worst and it probably wouldn’t have surprised anyone if the Hurricanes had gone on to win the game.
But, this Knights team showed some signs of maturity as they landed the knockout blow late in the period when Alex Tuch converted the game-winner on the power play.
Just a few weeks ago this could and probably would have been a game the Golden Knights would have dropped, and it is testament to new Head Coach Peter DeBoer.
DeBoer had the bye week to fully implement his systems and way of doing things, including making this team more resilient.
DeBoer’s Sharks teams were known for their hard-nosed approach and grittness, and the Vegas Golden Knights will need that same approach down the stretch as they attempt to navigate an ultra-competitive Pacific Division.
Next. Golden Knights answer the bell in big way in Carolina. dark
This was a big win for the Vegas Golden Knights who had to overcome some adversity to get the reward of two points, and it now sets the tone for what will hopefully be a much more consistent effort down the stretch.