After a homestand to forget, the Vegas Golden Knights needed a game to get back to the type of rhythm they had shown throughout March. This was that kind of game as Vegas beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime thanks to Reilly Smith’s third goal since coming back to the Golden Knights (two being game-winners).
It wasn’t fully a playoff-level performance. But it did feature a crunchy playoff-level hit by Mark Stone in the third period. However, it was the closest Vegas has come to one, which is a good sign in this extra-tight Pacific race.
Reilly Smith, entire second line ignites Vegas offense
There were a lot of great individual performances for Vegas Saturday night. Shea Theodore had a couple of assists. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his ninth goal in the last 13 games (more on him later). But collectively, the second line of Reilly Smith-William Karlsson-Victor Olofsson was the best part of the team tonight, scoring two of the three goals and hammering half of the team’s 34 shots on Flames’ goalie Dustin Wolf. At the forefront was Smith.
It was his first multi-goal game since 11/4/2023 back in his Pittsburgh Penguins era. This was the kind of smart, gritty game that Kelly McCrimmon was banking on when he brought Smith back to Vegas almost a month ago. It was one that must show up consistently both this week and many more on the horizon.
Schmid shines in first start since March 2024
It was perfectly understandable that Akira Schmid started this game, given what Adin Hill looked like Thursday against Winnipeg. It’s also understandable if you may have had some deep anxiety upon seeing Schmid in net for Vegas.
He hadn’t started a game since March 5, 2023 against Florida. Schmid hadn’t won a start since December 16 of that year against Columbus. He’d only given up two or less goals three times in his last 16 starts.
But the Swiss netminder rose to the occasion and played a fantastic game. He had a brilliant glove-tip save on Mikael Backlund with two seconds left in regulation. It saved the game and possibly more by this time next week.
Pavel Dorofeyev scores again, developing some consistency offensively
GET US GOING, 16 👏🚪 pic.twitter.com/ONJcew9U0i
— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 6, 2025
It’s not new to say that the one they (I) call Dr. Dorofeylgood has turned in a truly fantastic season, including a goal that opened the scoring. However, I wanted to note the level of consistency he’s been building outside of those nine goals in the last 13 games. From the beginning of the year until January 11, he had four pointless streaks of three or more games. Since then, that’s happened only once. There’s usually one player who rises to superstar status in the playoffs, and he might be that one this season.
Next on the Marquee:
It's a quick jaunt to the west coast of Canada to take on the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night at 7 P.M. on ESPN. It’s the first of four times Vegas will be playing when the Los Angeles Kings are off. So, a win would be a huge boon for this team, especially given what the Kings were able to do earlier on Saturday against Edmonton. As would a generous helping of good luck, particularly if it’s at the expense of the St. Louis Blues. But that’s a different story. Until then…