NHL DEBUT
Tough going for former P.E.I. Rocket goaltender as Islanders drop Golden Knights 6-3
Former P.E.I. Rocket goaltender Maxime Lagace made his NHL debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in a relief effort for injured starter Oscar Dansk.
Dansk, already playing for the injured Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban, went down late in the second period versus the New York Islanders. So enter the backup Lagace, 24, who stopped 7-of-11 shots in the 6-3 loss.
Lagace had a 3.24 goalsagainst average and a .888 save percentage in four games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves before being called up after Fleury and Subban were hurt.
The Longueil, Que., native played three seasons with the Rocket, going 33-50-6, before being shipped to Cape Breton in 2013.
Undrafted, Lagace signed with the Dallas Stars and spent three seasons with the Stars AHL affiliate in Austin, Texas, before signing a deal with Vegas in July.
William Karlsson, Alex Tuch and Colin Miller scored for Vegas (8-3-0), which snapped a five-game winning streak and lost another goalie to injury. With starter Marc-Andre Fleury and backup Subban already sidelined, Dansk left with an apparent leg injury after Tavares scored the tying goal late in the second period.
Dansk, who came in 3-0 with an NHL-best 1.34 goals-against average, made 17 saves. Lagace, the fourth goalie Vegas has used in its inaugural season, came on for his NHL debut and gave up four goals on 11 shots.
“We didn’t help Max out,” Miller said. “He’s getting thrown in the fire a little bit. I’m sure he’ll do fine. He’s played hockey for a long time. I’m sure he’ll be all right.”
Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant didn’t have an update on Dansk after Monday’s game.
Lagace started Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers. Lagace’s record dropped to 0-2 as the Rangers beat the Knights 6-4, putting four goals past the former Rocket netminder in the third period. Lagace allowed six goals on 38 shots.
On Monday, Vegas led 2-1 after one period before Tavares tied the score with his 10th goal with 5:10 left, deflecting a shot by Nick Leddy past Dansk, who was injured on the play. The Golden Knights challenged for goalie interference, but the goal stood after a review.
With Reilly Smith off for highsticking, Barzal gave the Islanders their first lead as he knocked in the rebound of a backhand by Anders Lee that went off the right post for his third.
Smith’s penalty was the Golden Knights’ third of the second period and fifth of the game.
“If we’re going to win on the road, you can’t take five penalties in the first two periods and get behind the 8-ball there,” Gallant said. “When the game was real close we made a couple of big mistakes there and opened the door for them to get six goals.”
Clutterbuck extended the Islanders lead to 4-2 at 4:44 of the third as he skated up the right side and fired the puck past Lagace’s glove for his second.
Kulemin made it a three-goal lead with his first of the season at 8:26 of the third.
Tavares scored on a breakaway with 7:22 left for his 11th of the season, giving New York six goals for the second straight game.
“We built some good momentum,” Tavares said. “Now it’s just to keep it going. It’s a long season.”
Miller beat Halak from the right circle with 5:19 to go to pull Vegas to 6-3.
Vegas got on the scoreboard first with the first short-handed goal in franchise history as Karlsson got a pass from Cody Eakin and beat Halak, who was out of position trying to disrupt the pass, at 9:31. It was the sixth short-handed goal allowed by the Islanders, tying Buffalo for most in the NHL.
“Yet another short-handed goal against - it just can’t happen,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. “I’m glad they battled back, put pucks to the net and scored on a couple of power plays.”
Ladd tied it with 6:10 remaining in the period as he fired a shot from the top of the right circle past Dansk’s blocker side for his third.
The Golden Knights went back ahead 2-1 nearly two minutes later with a power-play goal when Miller’s shot deflected off Tuch’s skate in front and past Halak. It was Tuch’s third of the season.
(With files by The Guardian)