Pacioretty notches second game winner in a row, VGK streak now at six

Mark Warner @VegasHockeyPod VegasHockeyPodcast.com

January 6, 2019

Malcolm Subban stopped 36-38 shots including twenty in the decisive third period and the Golden Knights beat the visiting New Jersey Devils 3-2.

The Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Nico Hischier and Ben Lovejoy. Hischier opened the scoring at 5:06 when he collected his own blocked pass right in the slot then beat Subban high glove. The Devils increased their lead to 2-0 when Ben Lovejoy walked out from behind the net on his backhand, skated across the crease with great patience, turned to his forehand and put the puck behind a sprawling Subban. Subban would not be beaten again.

Ryan Reaves started the comeback for the Golden Knights 3 minutes later when he blocked a pass by Devils centericeman Patel Zacha at the blue line and went in alone on Devils’ goaltender Keith Kinkaid. Reaves scored his career high 8th goal of the season when his shot trickled between Kinkaid’s legs and across the goal line.

Brayden McNabb tied the game with a wrist shot from the above the left circle at 11:17 of the second period on a goal that was initially disallowed. The call on the ice was goalie interference on Ryan Carpenter. The Golden Knights challenged the call, and replays showed no contact was made with Kinkaid. It was just a great screen by Carpenter and the goal stood.

Max Pacioretty, for the second game in a row since missing 7 games with a lower body injury scored the game winning goal. Less than 24 hours after the birth of his fourth son, the new dad deflected a Shea Theodore shot from the top of the left circle past Kinkaid at 15:46 of the 2nd period.

The rest was all Malcolm Subban. The Vegas netminder shutout the Devils the rest of the way, including during 2 power plays during the last 4 minutes of the game. Ryan Reaves went off for tripping at 16:38, and again at 18:58 for delay of game. Subban stopped 4 good chances in the last minute facing the 6 on 4 situation to seal the win, earning the games Third Star.

Notes

The win was the Golden Knights 6th in a row, second longest in their short history. The Knights won 8 straight from December 17th to January 2nd last season. Shea Theodore returned to the lineup after missing Friday’s game against the Ducks with illness. Next up for the Knights will be the New York Rangers Tuesday at 7:00 PST. The Golden Knights beat the Rangers in New York 4-3 on December 16th.