There's nothing more patriotic than defeating your rival countrymen from the north. The Vegas Golden Knights did that on Saturday, delivering an All-American beatdown to the Montreal Canadiens, 6-2. Tomas Hertl scored a goal for the Golden Knights while Jack Eichel scored a goal and two assists.
That beatdown came in the second period, where Vegas scored five goals, making it the first 5-0 singular period in franchise history. That ultimately chased Sam Montembeault out of the building as the Canadiens goaltender stopped 20 of 25 shots.
The Golden Knights took first place in the Pacific Division back from the Calgary Flames, who defeated the Minnesota Wild in a shootout, 4-3. With the win, Vegas improves to 13-6-2 and bumps their point total to 28. Meanwhile, the last place Canadiens stay put in the Atlantic Division, watching their record fall to 7-11-2.
Ultimately, the road team has turned their once-unfavorable road trip into a promising expedition. The Golden Knights got their fourth road win in the past five games. Now, they're turning the corner after their early struggles. It's a promising sign for fans worried about the team's performance early. Losing the first three games in uninspiring fashion had the faithful wondering if their team would ever turn around. Now? This appears to be the case.
It's time to have a discussion about Jack Eichel as one of the league's best
Jack Eichel has been the engine that runs the Vegas Golden Knights offense. He's scored 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) in his first 21 games. Before Saturday's game, the four-time All Star was projected to score 25 goals and 94 assists (119 points). Expect those numbers to shoot up after a three-point performance on Saturday.
But there also needs to be a discussion about the forward being one of the league's best. He's carried the team offensively, improving his linemates on the top unit. That includes Ivan Barbashev (nine goals, 13 assists) and Mark Stone (six goals, 15 assists). In fact, Eichel helped set up Cal Burke for his first NHL goal.
Cal Burke gets his first NHL goal and Ivan Barbashev pots a beauty just over 60 seconds apart 🎲 pic.twitter.com/ltPwujaToq
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 24, 2024
Here, the center goes around the horn, passing to Barbashev behind the net. That's when the Russian forward finds Burke for the finish near the high slot. Eichel quarterbacks the play efficiently, keeping Montembeault off balance. The Montreal Canadiens goaltender doesn't see Burke coming until the last minute, where he finishes.
Plays like these have been the norm to start the season. Fans have seen what the healthy version of the former second-overall pick can do, with breathtaking plays being set up. Now? It's led to sitting pretty atop the Pacific Division and fans enjoying the offensive fruits of labor.
What's next for the Vegas Golden Knights?
The Vegas Golden Knights will head to the City of Brotherly Love to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. They got defenseman Nicolas Hague back from a lower-body injury on Saturday, adding more bite to their blue line. Could they also get their Captain back on Monday? Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens will face the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday. This match concludes a four-game homestand during which they'll play three games on the road. Of course, that starts on Wednesday with a back-to-back game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Golden Knights are beating teams they must beat, which makes for a promising run. Taking care of business against the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens is a good start, especially since the team didn't start well on the road this season. If they continue playing to their abilities while getting healthier, that could be an All-American scary sight for the rest of the NHL.