Things were looking good after the second period for the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Jack Eichel had two goals in the game, single-handedly leading his team ahead of the New York Rangers. Everything was good, with Adin Hill stopping shots and the New York crowd being silenced. Also, Brandon Saad is in his first game with his new team. Certainly, everything would hold, right?
Behind three third-period goals from K'Andre Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin, the Rangers doubled up the Golden Knights, 4-2. Two of those third-period goals came on the power play for New York, raising questions about Vegas's penalty kill. Alex Lafreniere also added a second-period goal for New York while Reilly Smith added an assist and newcomer J.T. Miller added two. The Rangers improved their record to 25-23-4 on the season (54 points). Meanwhile, the Golden Knights dropped to 31-16-6 and are still feeling the after-effects of the foul-smelling month known as January.
Adin Hill stopped 24 of 28 shots for the Golden Knights, being outdueled by his former teammate, Jonathan Quick. The three-time Stanley Cup winner stopped 34 of 36 shots, delivering a lockdown performance for the home team when they needed it most. He also got his 400th career win as a goaltender, making him the first U.S.-born netminder to achieve this mark. Overall, it was a terrible collapse for a team in the middle of a brutal four-game road trip. Even social media wasn't letting Vegas off the hook easily.
Here's what we were looking at heading into the 3rd period
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) February 3, 2025
VGK when leading entering 3rd: 19-2-1
NYR when trailing entering 3rd: 1-20-1
VGK facing backup goalie: 18-2-0
VGK facing team on 2nd of B2B: 8-1-0
NYR on 2nd of B2B: 2-3-1
No excuse to let this one get away.
The loss bumps the Golden Knights back into second place in the Pacific Division behind the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, that's by virtue of games played, where the Oilers have one fewer game (52 compared to Vegas playing 53). As for New York? The Rangers are buoyed in the playoff race before the 4 Nations Face-Off break with two points. It keeps them in the race with competitors like the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
What's next for the Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers?
The Vegas Golden Knights continue their four-game road trip with another New York contest. This time, it's in Long Island as the Golden Knights take on the Islanders. The action starts on Tuesday at 4:30 PM PST at UBS Arena, with this New York team not to be taken lightly, either. They've won seven of their last 10 games, thrusting them back into the Stanley Cup playoff race.
Meanwhile, the New York Rangers will face the Boston Bruins in an "Original Six" showdown on Wednesday at 4:00 PM PST. That game will also be at Madison Square Garden and will be on TNT and Max. They'll have another home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday at 4:00 PM PST before heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Jack Eichel can't be the only means of offense for his team. Sure, he's an electrifying player with 16 goals and 48 assists. However, his teammates must step up and take better shots. They must also be smarter than taking bad penalties and turning the puck over. If they can't get out of their way, it'll be another quick playoff exit and the Golden Knights turning into "Turtle Soup."