Mark Stone and Jack Eichel continue their point streaks as the Vegas Golden Knights extend their winning streak with an overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings.
LOS ANGELES — It was destined to go to overtime.
Heading into Wednesday night’s bout at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Kings, both the Golden Knights and Kings had the two highest overtime loss totals in the league. As fate would have it, the score remained tied at the end of regulation, sending both teams to their 18th overtime period of the season.
It took just 25 seconds for Vegas to find the back of the net to win it, 3-2, and extend their winning streak to five games.
Although Mark Stone was the one to score the game-winner, it was Jack Eichel who will be remembered for the play.
Eichel disrupted the Kings’ rush attempt and sprung himself on a two-on-one with Stone. After failing to get a shot off, he swung around the net, bringing goaltender Darcy Kuemper out of his crease in the process, then dove and delivered a pass in mid-air to Stone in front of a wide-open net to finish it off.
“You could tell Jack (Eichel’s) will in overtime,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He basically killed their rush by (Kevin) Fiala and bowled his way all the way to the back of the net, tried to get a shot off, and he stayed with the puck and made a hell of a play this time.”
Overtime had been a struggle for the Golden Knights. With this win, Vegas is now 6-12 in games that go beyond regulation. This also makes it back-to-back wins in games that have gone to overtime for the Golden Knights, with the first being the win in Winnipeg that kick-started this five-game winning streak.
Vegas’ five-game winning streak comes after losing five in a row and a stretch when it was 1-5-3 in its last nine games. This turnaround has propelled the Golden Knights back into first place in the Pacific Division, and this game against the Kings is an example of how they have changed their fortunes.
“The second period is what our team looks like when we're on top of things,” Cassidy said. “We're using everybody. All four lines are forechecking and getting pucks back.
“It's good that they see it and they recognize it and can get out of it. I think that's what's changed a little bit recently. We don’t have a good start in the third, right? They had a quick push, we got out of it. One goal didn't turn into two and three. That's a good sign that we can get back to our game and play the way we want to.”
That overtime goal extends Stone’s point streak to nine games, and he’s put up eight goals and 14 points in that stretch. He’s now up to 16 goals and 43 points in just 29 games played on the season.
“When your team's playing well, everybody seems to start having some success,” Stone said. “Power play is clicking. Pucks are in around the net. You get to the net, you're going to get some chances, especially when you're playing with Jack (Eichel) and Mitch (Marner) and all those guys. Power play, five on five, you're going to get looks.”
Stone is right. Quite a few Golden Knights are seeing success.
Eichel has arguably been Vegas’ best player all season, but the overtime goal was Eichel’s third assist of the night, making it 10 points in his six-game point streak. With a three-point night, he’s eclipsed the 50-point mark and sits at 51 points on the season.
Shea Theodore picked up an assist on the Golden Knights’ first goal to give him a point in each of his first three games back since returning from injury. Vegas didn’t just miss the offensive production from the veteran blue-liner, but they missed the plays that may go unnoticed on the scoresheet as well.
Theodore recognized soft space on the ice and forced Kings’ defenders to converge onto him, drawing a hooking penalty that set up Marner’s go-ahead power play goal in the third period.
“His transition game is excellent, always has been,” Cassidy said of Theodore. “That's hard to replicate. Guys have that or don't. That's his skill set. That's probably the biggest thing we've missed. Getting through the neutral zone. Getting some, I don't want to call it easier chances, but easier opportunities off the rush.”
The Golden Knights are now 22-11-12 and have a two-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division.
They head back to Vegas to face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, which is Marner’s first time facing his former team.
“I'm sure he's going to be highly motivated,” Cassidy said. “Sometimes it goes the other way when you want to do too much. Hopefully, he just goes out and plays his game. He's a great player. Then it's behind him. Before you know it, we're playing our next game.”
After spending the first nine years and the first 771 games, counting playoffs, in a Maple Leaf uniform, Marner still considers a lot of Maple Leaf players his closest friends. Despite the history, Marner isn’t looking at the game as anything other than a hockey game.
“I haven't thought about it until right now,” Marner said. “Been trying to just focus on our games, focus on who we play next opponent. I'm sure on the plane ride home, it's going to hit more that it is tomorrow night. But I don't think I've got to look at it differently.”
Category: General Sports
