Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
The Golden Knights score a goal late in overtime for victory over the Blues.
Imperfect in the third period. Perfect in overtime.
William Karlsson took a cross-ice pass from Reilly Smith and beat Jake Allen with 26 seconds left in overtime as the Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
The Knights have won all three of their overtime games and are the first franchise in NHL history to begin their inaugural season 6-1.
But while the Knights won the game, they might have lost another goaltender. Malcolm Subban appeared to have injured his right leg midway through the third period and left the game. Subban reached across the crease to stop Jaden Schwartz’s shot. The attempt was wide, but Subban was in distress, unable to get up. It took the referee’s whistle to stop play, as he was assisted off the ice favoring the right leg.
Subban, who was playing because starting goalie Marc-Andre-Fleury is on injured reserved with a concussion, gave way to Oscar Dansk, who was called up from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
Dansk, who was making his NHL debut, came in with 9:10 remaining. The first shot he faced, a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle from Alex Pietrangelo, beat him to tie the game 2-2 with 5:08 to play.
In overtime, Schwartz had a great chance from the high slot, but Dansk got his blocker and right pad on it. Moments later, Brayden Schenn skated in all alone for the Blues but could not finish.
The Knights had a great chance with just over two minutes to go, as Brendan Leipsic went in all alone. But his backhand shot was stopped by St. Louis goaltender Jake Allen,
The Golden Knights’ power play, which has had all the energy of a 20watt bulb early this season, finally got some oomph.
Smith and Colin Miller each had a goal and an assist in helping the Knights score twice when a man up. Smith’s goal, his second this season, came on a second-period power play.
Defenseman Miller, who had a tough first period with a turnover and a penalty, had fired a slap shot from the point that was blocked by the Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo. But the puck came right to Smith, who beat Allen cleanly to tie the game 1-1 at 13:54.
Then Miller broke the tie, as he took a feed from Brad Hunt, skated in and unleashed a rising wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that sailed over Allen’s shoulder at 17:27 to give the Knights a 2-1 lead that they took into the third period.
The Knights, who have struggled at times during the third period, caught a break 3:13 into the period. Vladimir Sobotka chipped the puck at Subban, who lost his balance and fell into the net.
However, the puck never crossed the goal line, according to the replay review, and the original ruling of no goal stood. It kept the Knights’ onegoal lead intact.
But the Blues, who had a 1-0 lead on Magnus Paajarvi’s first-period goal, kept pressing. They bottled up the Knights in their defensive end, not giving them a chance to counterattack.
The Knights might have been able to close the gap in shots had they been able to hit the net. There were 14 missed shots in the first two periods.
Schwartz almost put the Blues ahead with 3:04 left. But Dansk managed to corral the rebound with Vladimir Tarasenko at the doorstep looking to pounce.
Schwartz almost won it with five seconds to go, as his tip-in went just wide, and the Knights were headed to overtime for the third time in seven games.