The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t light up the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena; instead, the two battled for two periods without a goal until the kids Braeden Bowman and Trevor Connelly helped the visitors to a 2-1 victory. Although the Golden Knights fell behind 1-0 just two minutes into the third, Bowman got them on the board with his fourth of the year, before Connelly toe-dragged his way into hero status. With Vegas generating more scoring chances, shots, and power-play opportunities, it wasn't a matter of if the Golden Knights would break through, but when. That moment finally arrived in the dying minutes of a 1-1 game.
Win: Trevor Connelly thrives in clutch situations
The NHL only hands out the Calder Trophy to the league’s top rookie, but perhaps there should be a movement for a new award for the most clutch rookie, which should go to Connelly. Three games ago, he scored the game-tying goal in Boston, and the very next night, he did it again, helping Vegas get two points. Then, against an Original Six franchise, the 20-year-old scored his first career game-winning goal. Through 18 games, Connelly is now tied with Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl, each player up to seven goals.
Sin: Mitch Marner is held without a point
They often say all good things must come to an end, which now includes Mitch Marner’s assist streak. On Thursday, the Golden Knights star forward was held without a point for only the third time this season, following the Opening Night victory over Chicago and against Seattle on Oct. 6. Despite missing two games for the birth of his second child, Marner has 18 points in 16 appearances, ranking third on the team behind Jack Eichel (23) and Mark Stone (19). Ultimately, this wasn't a Sin because Marner played poorly. It was simply a difficult night to generate offense, and the Red Wings managed to bring his impressive streak to an end.
Win: Carter Hart has a bounce-back performance
At moments, it wasn’t pretty; other times, Carter Hart looked like the guy who led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final just six months ago. After suffering from overtime and shootout losses in his last two appearances, the Vegas goaltender was sharp on Wednesday against the Red Wings, turning away 25 shots for his fifth win of the season. In a goaltending duel with Danii Tarasov, Hart blinked first, surrendering Detroit's opening goal at 2:02 of the third period, but shut the door the rest of the way. The Red Wings also went scoreless on two power-play opportunities, with Hart playing an important role in another strong penalty-killing performance.
What’s next for the Golden Knights?
Vegas has one game remaining on its road trip, visiting the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday afternoon. At least when this four-game road trip comes to an end, the Golden Knights will be at home for a stretch of five games in nine nights.
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