The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their two-game road trip with a visit to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who secured a 2-1 overtime victory at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night. In one of the most tightly contested games of the young season, neither team generated a lot of scoring chances as 39-year-old Cam Talbot outduelled Carter Hart, who is now 4-3-1 this season. Vegas' only goal came off the stick of Tomas Hertl, while the home team got tallies from defenseman Denton Mateychuk and Adam Fantilli, who scored the overtime winner.
Win: Tomas Hertl snaps goalless drought
Ever since the Golden Knights lost Victor Olofsson to injury, secondary scoring has gone a tad bit cold, especially his linemate Hertl. Before Saturday’s game, he had no points in the previous four outings, and only two points in the last eight. Despite scoring on a lucky bounce during a broken play, hopefully his latest lamplighter lights a fire under him and helps him find more ways to get back on the scoresheet.
Sin: Shea Theodore's overtime penalty proves costly
In the first period, the Blue Jackets took the game's first penalty, giving the Golden Knights what would become their only power-play opportunity. They played a relatively clean game until the third period, when Columbus got two early power-play chances that they didn’t score on. However, just 15 seconds into overtime, Shea Theodore took a holding penalty, which led to Fantilli’s overtime winner just 44 seconds later. Considering there were not a lot of chances in the game, the Blue Jackets made the most of their one opportunity in overtime, securing a much-needed extra point.
Win: Vegas benefits from an Edmonton Oilers loss
On Saturday, Vegas escaped Ohio with a point to remain tied with Edmonton at 17 after the Oilers suffered a 7-2 blowout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, Edmonton holds the top spot in the Pacific Division thanks to a higher points percentage (.773 to .654), having played two fewer games than Vegas. Although these two powerhouse teams won’t clash until late November, the early standings suggest another close race for the division crown.
Sin: Golden Knights are not the same team without Mitch Marner
Superstar forward Mitch Marner missed his second consecutive game, and for the second time in a row, Vegas failed to get much going offensively. Despite only being a part of the Golden Knights for one season, he's become a driving force behind the team's attack, and it's pretty clear Vegas are not the same without him in the lineup. Hopefully, he returns for the club's two-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils, which could have Connor Hellebuyck in goal. Any further stretches without Marner could be a significant problem for Vegas, who have scored just three goals in the past two contests.
What’s next for the Golden Knights?
After a lackluster two-game road trip, Vegas returns to the Fortress for two contests against the Senators (Tuesday) and Devils (Friday).
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