There's a good reason why Kelly McCrimmon acquired Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks in March. The Vegas Golden Knights forward has a purpose of being a big body offensively, specializing in redirections and power plays. Historically, the unit has been mediocre, so McCrimmon wanted a forward who could fill a void.
Boy, did Hertl fill that void against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. The Prague native scored two goals and added two assists in a 6-1 victory. The Golden Knights snapped a three-game losing streak, while the Kings came short of winning their third straight game. On a night when people were concerned that Hertl would be a liability during the season, he did an excellent job hushing the critics.
The two-time All-Star needed a breakthrough game like the Golden Knights did. Both were reeling and needed a pick-me-up of sorts. That's what Tuesday provided, with the power play delivering two goals in the first period. The result? A 4-2-1 record and two points added to the total.
Does this address concerns about the forward's play to start the season? Will fans still worry about how Hertl will play as the season progresses? Sometimes, home cooking is the best remedy for a sick heart. The Vegas Golden Knights learned that on Tuesday, watching a revamped lineup take control in the first period.
It wasn't just Tomas Hertl helping the Vegas Golden Knights, though
Tomas Hertl had a breakout game that was desperately needed. He showed he makes the power play much better, feeding off redirections and blocking David Rittich's view throughout the night.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings entered Tuesday's game in second place in the Pacific Division. They had eight points and were riding momentum closing out their seven-game road trip. But the last game wasn't a gimme for the Kings.
In fact, the Golden Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Hertl was a major catalyst in that period, scoring a power play goal and two assists (with one coming on the power play). However, he wasn't the only Golden Knights star having a great game.
Ilya Samsonov continued his impressive start in the season, stopping 31 of 32 shots. He was also a major factor in killing off a double-minor in the second period. Six minutes of penalty killing wouldn't have been possible without the Russian netminder, making ridiculous saves to help the Golden Knights win.
Oh hello there, Ilya Samsonov 👀 pic.twitter.com/pLeKC3fX1j
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 23, 2024
As for the special teams itself? It continues to impress, adding two goals on the power play on Tuesday night. Entering the third period, Vegas had 13 blocked shots and killed four penalties. It was an overall impressive performance for a Golden Knights team searching for any answer.
As for Hertl, fans might not be as concerned about the former Sharks star as initially thought. He continued showing his power play chops and developing into a key contributor. Tuesday's performance proved that, giving fans a glimpse of what he can bring to his current team. Hey, everything might be alright, after all. Let's plan the Hertl Redemption Tour already!