The Vegas Golden Knights’ rough patch deepened Saturday night in Columbus, where a 2-1 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets sent them to a third straight defeat.
This one started slowly for Vegas and never fully caught up. Nearly five minutes passed before the Golden Knights even managed their first shot on net, and the opening stretch looked flat, disconnected and behind the pace from the jump.
They earned the game’s first power play, but the zone entry issues that have been biting them showed up again, and the chance fizzled. It was their only opportunity with the extra skater.
Columbus opened the scoring at 11:51 of the first period. Rasmus Andersson’s attempted clear bounced off the boards and landed on Valeri Nichushkin’s stick, setting up a quick sequence that ended with Denton Mateychuk driving in unnoticed and beating Carter Hart forehand-backhand after a pass from Kent Johnson.
The goal finally woke Vegas up. The Golden Knights answered with more pressure and finished the period with a 9-4 edge in shots.
Their equalizer came at 17:13. Trevor Connelly stripped Carson Soucy at center ice and pushed into the offensive zone before feeding Braeden Bowman between the hash marks. Cam Talbot stopped Bowman’s close-range try, but Tomáš Hertl cleaned up the rebound for the finish.
Vegas carried that momentum into the third and outshot Columbus 13-5 in the period. They also killed off penalties to Nic Dowd and Jeremy Lauzon early in the frame, keeping the Blue Jackets from extending the lead. Jack Eichel and Trevor Connelly both generated dangerous looks, but Talbot held firm and sent the game to overtime.
The extra frame went Columbus’ way.
Carter Hart finished with 18 saves and a .900 save percentage. The loss marked the first time this season the Golden Knights were held to fewer than two goals. They’ve now given up a power play goal in five straight games, and they’ve gone six consecutive power play opportunities without converting.
Eichel led Vegas with six shots on goal. Connelly picked up an assist on Hertl’s goal and is tied again for the rookie scoring lead with eight points. Shea Theodore added four shots on goal and four blocked shots.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Face Early Road Trip Questions After Lopsided Loss
The Golden Knights first stop on this road trip brought an immediate reality check, as St. Louis controlled the night from the opening goal and rolled to a 6-2 win at Enterprise Center. Vegas had moments, including goals from Brett Howden and Jack Eichel, but the Blues kept answering, with Pavel Buchnevich, Justin Barron, Mason McTavish, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway all finding the net in a game the visitors never managed to pull back into reach.
For a team that expected to use this trip to settle in, the bigger question now is how quickly the Knights can reset before Saturdays matchup with the Blue Jackets. One lopsided loss does not define a road swing, but it does put a little extra attention on how Vegas responds after giving up the lead early and spending the rest of the night chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Eichel Is Playing Like A Different Star For Vegas
Jack Eichels season has looked different in all the ways that matter most to the Golden Knights. He is on pace for a career-high 41 goals and could become the first Vegas player to hit 100 points in a single season, a marker that would put his offensive run in a class all its own for the franchise. What stands out is not just the volume, but the efficiency, with his shooting percentage climbing to 18.8 percent, the best of his career.
The bigger shift has been how he is getting there. Eichel has played with more aggression and sharper shot selection, and the fit around him has helped, with Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev giving Vegas a more dangerous look whenever the top line is rolling. Even without a power-play goal this season, Eichels production has taken on the shape of a true No. 1 star, and the Knights are benefiting from the version of him that attacks more often and finishes cleaner than before. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Suddenly Have Two Problems They Can't Ignore
The Golden Knights latest skid got a little more uncomfortable Sunday night in Columbus, where a 2-1 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets left Vegas with its third straight defeat. Denton Mateychuk scored for Columbus, Tomas Hertl answered for Vegas, and the Knights again came up short in a game that exposed more than one problem, from an offense that never really found a groove to a penalty kill that left the staff with plenty to sort through.
Ryan Craig didnt sugarcoat the state of things afterward, and for a team that has built its identity on being hard to play against, the details matter here. Vegas can live with a tight loss now and then, but when the attack is sputtering and the special teams arent holding up, the margin gets thin fast, and the Knights are suddenly dealing with issues they cant afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]