The Vegas Golden Knights faced a familiar foe on Friday night as Connor Hellebuyck returned to The Fortress with his new team, the New Jersey Devils, who escaped with a 5-2 victory. Vegas did get goals from Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev, while Adin Hill went from one of his best performances a few nights back to one of his sloppiest.
Win: Marner extends point streak to nine games
Despite missing the Golden Knights’ two-game road trip, Marner returned to the lineup against Ottawa and had an assist. On Friday, he added another two helpers to his totals to have 15 points in October, thanks to two goals and 13 assists. During his nine-game point streak, Vegas is 6-3-0, which is a testament to how important he is to the team’s offensive attack. However, in the two games he doesn’t have any points, the Golden Knights are 2-0-0.
Sin: Adin Hill’s Jekyll and Hyde starts
It may be Halloween season, which means fans could be in for a scare when certain players take the ice, including the Golden Knights’ netminder. After a brilliant performance against the Senators, when he finished with a .962 SV%, Hill reverted to his old ways on Friday, finishing the Devils game with a .871 SV%. As mentioned, Hill may have a 5-2-0 record, but his overall SV% ranks 30th in the league. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Hellebuyck, has played only two games and already has a .923 SV%. Vegas may have gotten two pucks past him, but he was solid, unlike Hill, who gave up some sloppy goals and made several scrambling saves.
Sin: Golden Knights start strong but disappear before the final buzzer
Instead of falling behind as per the Golden Knights’ standard this season, they actually held a 2-1 lead before the end of the first period. However, the never-say-die Devils made sure it was 2-2 before the intermission. Statistically, the first period was the only time Vegas held an advantage in shots, 8-7, before slowly fading away as the clock ticked down, unable to keep pace with New Jersey. The visitors dominated the middle period with two goals, while outshooting the home team 16-7. Then in the third, trailing by two, the Golden Knights mustered only six shots on goal, while the Devils got nine and another goal. Although New Jersey eventually walked away with the victory, it didn't come easily, as Vegas remained physical with 36 hits and blocked 15 shots.
What’s next for the Golden Knights?
Like so many other teams across the league, Vegas has the weekend off before flying to New England for a Monday clash with the Boston Bruins. It will be the first of four games through the Atlantic Division to kick off November.
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