Have you ever had a road trip to forget like the Vegas Golden Knights did this past week? It's filled with various inconveniences and nuances, leaving you frustrated with your vacation. It might be an errant tire that knocks out your engine, costing you $4,400. It might be some smug gum-popping jerk who rubs you the wrong way. Whatever the case, the Golden Knights can relate after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The defending Stanley Cup champions outshot the Golden Knights, 49-26, nearly doubling them in the category. Despite the loss, Ilya Samsonov stopped 45 shots, keeping Vegas in the game. In turn, it led to a salvaged point from the East Coast road trip. Hey, better than nothing, right?
Keegan Kolesar scored a goal while Tanner Pearson added his first goal and an assist. Brett Howden scored a breathtaking goal in the third period, deke-ing Sergei Bobrovsky and sneaking a backhander past the goaltender.
How about the moves from Brett Howden on this one?! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/LlmytJo5do
— NHL (@NHL) October 20, 2024
That wasn't enough for the Golden Knights as Eetu Luostarinen tied the game off a rebound with under eight minutes left in the third period. Gustav Forsling scored the game-winner for the Panthers with 17 seconds left in overtime. The overtime loss leaves Vegas with a 0-2-1 record on the trip. They'll face the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, starting at 8:00 PM.
What went wrong for the Vegas Golden Knights against the Florida Panthers?
The Golden Knights were fortunate to walk out of Saturday's game with a single point. The Panthers almost doubled up Vegas in shots, generating an endless amount of scoring opportunities on Samsonov. The Russian goaltender's outstanding play helped the road team earn a point. However, the lack of blue-line pressure wasn't the only problem.
In fact, overall pressure was a problem. Collapsing offensively in the third period doesn't help you. It causes the opposing team to crank up the pressure on the other end, where you'll eventually crack. Overall, the Golden Knights were outplayed in all three zones in the third period, leading Florida to come back and take the game.
The trip left the Golden Knights with six leads, all of which were relinquished. Losing the lead has become an issue, where the team gets too comfortable on the road. It happened during the last preseason game in the final two games of the East Coast trip. Blown leads turn into blown opportunities, which was the road trip's motif.
Could home cooking cure all that ails the Golden Knights?
The good news is the Vegas Golden Knights will start a four-game home stand on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. After that will be games against the Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Calgary Flames. Easier (at least on paper) competition should ease the tension.
Cassidy found lightning in a bottle by putting Tanner Pearson on the second line. The forward contributed a goal and assist in Saturday's loss, giving Vegas some punch. The fourth line also played phenomenally, adding two goals (one from Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden each) and two assists. It showcased the team's overall scoring depth, giving the Golden Knights goals when the top line doesn't produce.
Still, there must be some adjustments. They must stop surrendering the lead and relax. That falls on the players and Cassidy, who's softened up when the team jumps ahead. Playing comfortably and conservatively has hurt the Golden Knights in the past two games, leading to squandered points. That's something Vegas can't afford, especially down the stretch.