Not long ago, Jack Eichel scored a key goal on a penalty shot. He buried a wrister past Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game at three goals apiece between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Everyone thought that this would be it on the whole "penalty shot" front.
They thought that the Golden Knights organization wouldn't be talking about any more penalty shots for a while. Well, they were wrong. Joe Fleming of the Henderson Silver Knights got such an opportunity in the third period on Wednesday and buried a top-shelf wrist shot.
Hear that 🛎️? That's a Joe Fleming PENALTY SHOT!@HSKnights | #CVvsHSK pic.twitter.com/ynKhCniLyc
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) October 15, 2026
That would be Fleming's first goal of the season as the Silver Knights walked out of Lee's Family Forum with an easy 4-0 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Silver Knights improved to 2-2-0-0 on the year, while the Firebirds suffered their first regulation loss of the season (record of 2-1-2-0). Up next for Henderson? A road game against the Ontario Reign on Saturday, a team that was an incredibly tough out for everyone last season.
As for Fleming, he's not the first Silver Knights player to score on a penalty shot. Maxim Marushev also pulled this off for Henderson on December 10, 2021, against the Rockford Ice Hogs. Being the second player in franchise history to do this isn't bad, either.
Still, the Golden Knights family is starting to turn a once-mocked narrative into a force of nature. Nevada-based teams no longer fear being stopped on the penalty shot. The only thing that's left is certainty that they'll score and which spot they should pick for the goal.
Why Joe Fleming's penalty shot goal with the Henderson Silver Knights matters
Once upon a time, the Vegas Golden Knights weren't well-known for scoring on breakaways, penalty shots, or shootouts. The common notion was that they'd get stopped by the goaltender or shoot the puck wide or above the net. It got to the point where it became a literal meme within the Golden Knights community.
But now? The tide is slowly turning. Mind you, Fleming's well-versed in the field of beating people up. He's not going to be the flashiest goal scorer for the Silver Knights since he's adamant on administering heavy doses of pain and punishment. But Eichel and Fleming aren't the only Golden Knights players who are finding their sea legs in one-on-one situations.
Just look at what happened with Braeden Bowman during the shootout. He pulled San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaraslov Askarov out of position during the preseason and scored on him. He did the same thing last week against Maple Leafs netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and put it past the Russian goalie. You can also point to Trevor Connelly as a shining example of this shootout prowess for Vegas.
Granted, the Golden Knights are still seeking answers in breakaway situations. They also beat Toronto behind Adin Hill finishing strong. However, you can't deny that even the little brothers are benefitting from penalty shots from players like Joe Fleming. It's almost like there's something different in the air.
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