If Vegas Golden Knights is to bounce back from a rare defeat, they must find a way to win in Pittsburgh.
When they start a four-game Eastern Journey, Golden Knights looks for their second victory all the time against the low penguins on Tuesday evening.
Pacific Division-leading Vegas had won seven out of eight before falling 6-5 to Los Angeles Sunday at home. Tomas Hertl noted a hat trick for Golden Knights, which scored at least five goals for the third time in five matches.
However, Vegas also gave at least five goals for the third time in the last six competitions.
“I’m just thinking for some reason, we were not aware of details when the puck wasn’t there,” said Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “It’s something I think will be better (this week). … just because we’re better than that.
“Hopefully we take it to the heart. It can be a humble play.”
Golden Knights has really become humble when playing in Pittsburgh. They have been outscored 21-14 while publishing a 1-5-0 record. The lone victory came 3-0 in October 2019.
But Vegas rolled to a 4-0 home victory over Pittsburgh on Friday. Mark Stone had a goal with two assists, Tanner Pearson recorded one of each and Hertl, which has 11 points in the last eight matches, added a helper.
At the same time, the Golden Knights -Backup Ilya Samsonov 22 rescues against Penguins – his second suspension of the season – after allowing five goals in each of their two previous starts. On the back, teammate Adin Hill stopped 29 out of 35 shots Sunday – a rare off night that he had given up a total of four goals to win his four previous excursions for Vegas.
The penguins are intended to miss the playoffs for a third season in a row and are 2-6-2 at home since January 11. Pittsburgh has given 43 goals during that route, but returns home after saving two points on his three-game Road Trip with Sunday’s 3-1 victory in Minnesota.
Sidney Crosby had two goals from the third period and Evgeni Malkin opened the point when the Penguins got the best of wild Netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, their former teammate as they won three Stanley Cups. Crosby became the fourth player in NHL history to record 17 20-goal seasons with the same franchise.
“You say it every time he meets a milestone,” said teammate Bryan Rust. “It’s his incredible work ethical year in, year out … who still leads this team, and this league, for example.”
Crosby, with 17 points in its last 14 races, has five assists, but no goals in these six home games versus Vegas.
At the same time, it is uncertain whether Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry will get a second start in a row after making 29 rescues at Minnesota in its first NHL start since 14 Jan. Jarry was placed on the exception that the day after that start and eventually Ahl Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was awarded, where he played in 12 matches before being suspended last week.
Penguins-Starter Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 out of 27 shots at Vegas on Friday and has a 4.43 goal-for average and .843 Savings percent while he went 0-5-0 during his last six starts.
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