You'd think that the Vegas Golden Knights would carry some good vibes into Friday's game at Capital One Arena against the Washington Capitals. Perhaps they could use some of the offensive juice they had against the Los Angeles Kings and give the fans a competitive game. Well, did they do that?
The Capitals defeated the Golden Knights, 3-2, behind a pair of goals by Pierre Luc-DuBois. Jakob Chychrun also added a pinball goal, his 22nd of the year. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl (who has 600 points!) scored for the Golden Knights (Marner got his 800th point, too!). Logan Thompson was great in Friday's contest, stopping 24 of 26 shots. On the other hand, Akira Schmid wasn't Thompson on Friday, stopping 26 of 29 shots.
The Golden Knights continue their tough five-game trek across the country, with their next game coming on Sunday vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. As for the Capitals? Their next game comes on Saturday vs. the Montreal Canadiens.
But Friday was an extremely rough night for Vegas. The Golden Knights couldn't muster any offense throughout the game until late. On top of that, Vegas kept taking dumb penalties, giving Washington all the time in the world to generate offense. What went wrong for the Golden Knights and who didn't show up on Friday?
The Golden Knights were flat throughout the night against the Washington Capitals
The Golden Knights made numerous errors throughout the night against the Washington Capitals. It didn't matter if it was letting Pierre Luc-DuBois score two goals or being on a five-on-three. Vegas didn't have the juice during Friday's game.
That's especially true when you give the Capitals plenty of time by way of penalties. Washington carried the play throughout the night, generating countless scoring opportunities. It was a stark contrast to Wednesday's surprising win, where Vegas was relentlessly attacking the net.
It might take a little bit for Vegas to get that juice flowing. But if they can't get anything going against playoff-caliber teams, things could look bleak quickly. That's something that this team doesn't want to face—and is something that they know they can get out of.
Where were the Golden Knights Olympians?
Look, I understand that it might take a little bit to get things going. You've spent all your time partying in Miami and enjoying some Big Mac's with the President of the United States. But the absence of Vegas's best players was apparent throughout the night.
Not a single Golden Knights Olympian got a point until the third period. A lack of good puck movement, combined with poor exits, left Washington with all the offensive-zone time in the world. In turn, Washington gets yet another win in Washington, D.C., versus the Golden Knights.
Yes, you're not going to be 100% after the Olympic break (especially after winning a gold medal). You're trying to work out the kinks and play Olympian-style hockey. However, there's no excuse for the main stars to completely disappear against a good Capitals team.