Three takeaways
Special teams excel.
The Knights scored a power-play goal for the fifth straight game and killed off all three penalties against the NHL’S second-best power play Thursday. “If your special teams are playing well, you’re probably going to win a lot of hockey games,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. His team’s special teams are indeed playing well right now.
Top guns silent. The
Jets’ top scorers Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine were held off the scoresheet as the Knights did a good job of working to keep them from dominating. The duo were limited to just three shots combined. Heavy game. There were 45 hits registered by the two teams and a lot of big hits from both sides throughout. The Knights wound up taking the regular season series, 2-1, and if these teams were to meet in the playoffs, it would be a heck of a series. They’re evenly matched and it would make for some compelling hockey.
Steve Carp Haula has scored.
The play didn’t sit well with Jets coach Paul Maurice.
“The goaltender interference rule covers anything that goes on,” he said. “We can’t have people swinging their sticks at goaltenders’ heads. You can’t have that in the game.”
Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots. But he couldn’t get to Perron’s wrist shot in OT, which made franchise history and gave the Knights a 2-0 start on a six-game road trip.
“Right now, we’re pretty good and we’re finding ways to win,” said forward Jonathan Marchessault. “We just think of the next battle, and we just have to keep going.”
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @ stevecarprj on Twitter.