Stop me if you've heard this before. The Vegas Golden Knights notched yet another Opening Knight win over an NHL team, bumping their record to 8-1-1 in all-time home openers. The victim? The Chicago Blackhawks, who were decked for a 5-2 score.
Of course, Chicago didn't have Connor Bedard, who had a lengthy interview with ESPN that would've constituted two bathroom breaks with time to spare. However, Vegas proved that they didn't need Pavel Dorofeyev that much, after all. Trevor Connelly, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Victor Olofsson (first Vegas goal of the season and on the power play) and Mark Stone all carried the offensive assault on Tuesday.
The bright spots were aplenty for the Golden Knights on Tuesday. They consistently attacked the offensive zone and kept the Blackhawks on their heels. They also constricted the defensive end and didn't let Chicago get many high-danger chances early. That's a winning recipe for a team that has newcomer Ryan Craig as its head coach.
Of course, it wasn't a one-man effort, as seen by five different Golden Knights scoring a goal. It was a team effort, which equals winning games to the surprise of nobody. Do you expect LeBron James to lace up skates and dribble the puck past Spencer Knight? Anyway, let's get serious for a moment and name three shining stars for the Golden Knights on Tuesday.
1.) Trevor Connelly
The game's first star, Trevor Connely notched his first NHL goal in his first game. That's a tremendous mark for a 20-year-old to achieve, specifically with the lights on bright. The native of Tustin, California, also looked fluid in the offensive zone. He had impressive handles and aggressively attacked the Blackhawks' net.
For ages, the Golden Knights have had first-round picks that didn't pan out. You can think of names such as Brendan Brisson as shining examples, although you could dig deeper down the rabbit hole for names like Erik Brannstrom. However, that wasn't the case with Connelly, who showcased his offensive talent in a Golden Knights win.
2.) Shea Theodore
Last season was a trying time offensively for Theodore. The Original Misfit only had 29 assists, down from the 50 he had the season prior. While he produced a stellar defensive campaign for Vegas, his assists mark was a troubling sign that things weren't looking too good.
Well, that all changed on Tuesday, when Theodore notched two assists in the 5-2 win. He had a power play assist on Victor Olofsson's goal and added another on the aforementioned Connelly goal. Watch for the Misfit to build on this game and florish during the month of October.
3.) Carter Hart
Through the first two periods, Carter Hart didn't face much on the offensive front. However, the Blackhawks attack amplified the offense, yet that didn't deter the former Flyers goaltender. He stopped 24 of 26 shots and prevented the game from becoming the shootout at the ol' corral.
Yes, this was a Blackhawks team that missed Connor Bedard (rumor has it that he was doing a 10-minute interview or something like that). But if Tuesday was any indication, stronger starts like Hart will put the goaltending question to bed.
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