In a matchup of arguably two of the best teams from the Western and Eastern Conferences, the Vegas Golden Knights lost to the Boston Bruins 3-2 in a shootout at TD Garden on Monday. After falling behind 2-0, captain Mark Stone cut the deficit to 2-1, before Trevor Connelly tallied his fifth to tie the contest up. Carter Hart returned to action, turning away 25 shots, while going 2-for-3 in the shootout with only David Pastrnak scoring in the one-on-one competition.
Win: Trevor Connelly has guts
In the first period, the rookie Connelly got boarded by Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who is no stranger to controversy, having sat out the first six games of the season after a slashing major in the playoffs last year. Despite remaining down on the ice momentarily, Connelly returned to the game and scored the Golden Knights' second goal. If the Vegas youngster goes on to win the Calder Trophy, this will be one of those moments fans will look back on and remember his gutsy effort in Boston.
Sin: NHL officials did the Golden Knights no favors
When McAvoy planted Connelly through the boards in a very questionable play, the Bruins alternate captain only received a two-minute penalty. Considering McAvoy's disciplinary history, it's understandable why Golden Knights fans were furious that he escaped with only a minor penalty. So, when the tables were turned in the second period, Braeden Bowman cut off Matthew Poitras and got his elbow up and busted the young Bruins player wide open. Although the play was reviewed, Bowman was ejected after it was deemed a five-minute major. There's no denying that Bowman's hit was unacceptable, and everyone wants headshots eliminated from the game. However, McAvoy's hit could have seriously injured Connelly, making the officials' decision to assess only a minor penalty particularly frustrating.
Win: Mitch Marner extends point streak to 10 games
According to NHL Press Relations, Mitch Marner became the fourth Golden Knights player to ever record a 10-game point streak, joining teammates Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Tomas Hertl. Monday marked his fifth multi-point outing of the season and is the second time he’s had at least two points in back-to-back games. Oddly, he had two assists in wins over Calgary and Pittsburgh on Oct. 15 and 17, and then did it again in back-to-back losses most recently against New Jersey on Friday and Boston on Monday.
Sin: Carter Hart delivers brilliance and uncertainty
Right before the Bruins scored their first goal of the game, Hart might have made the save of the year by getting the paddle on a Nikita Zadorov tip, which then bounced off the post. However, Hart lost his stick during the sequence, sending his teammates scrambling before James Hagens buried the game's opening goal. Meanwhile, with a not-favorable record against Pastrnak in his career, Hart gave up the decisive shootout goal in the third round. Boston certainly generated its share of quality chances, and Hart delivered several impressive saves in his first appearance in over a week. However, was his performance enough to inspire confidence moving forward?
What’s next for the Golden Knights?
The Golden Knights began a four-game trip through the Eastern Conference with a shootout loss and will look to avenge Monday’s defeat on Tuesday in Pittsburgh against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
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