Three Stars of the Game
- Reilly Smith was great again and finished with a three-point night and a +3 rating in 13:29 minutes of total ice time. He claimed a primary helper on Shea Theodore’s goal in the second period before finishing off the Blackhawks in the third period with two goals, including a sublime effort on the backhand to beat Corey Crawford.
- Jonathan Marchessault was on a dominant second-line with Paul Stastny and Reilly Smith, a line that absolutely dominated against the Chicago Blackhawks. They combined for five points and 11 shots on goal, with Marchessault grabbing the primary and only assist on both of Smith’s goals, including a gorgeous saucer pass for his teammate’s second goal.
- Robin Lehner was nearly undone by his pesky left skate blade but, other than that, he was solid. Given the nod to start in Game 1 over face of the franchise Marc-Andre Fleury, Lehner stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced and he was big when he was needed. It helped that the Knights limited the Blackhawks offensively, but Lehner offered a calming presence and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he starts in Game 2.
What’s Next
Game 2 is slated for Thursday (puck drops at 5:30 p.m. ET) and the Vegas Golden Knights will be looking for more of the same in order to take a 2-0 series lead.
We’ll have plenty of buildup for you plus further insight from the Golden Knights’ victory in Game 1.