Vegas Golden Knights enters his home game on Sunday evening against New Jersey Devils, which leads Pacific Division with two points over Edmonton Oilers, largely thanks to a veteran defense that has allowed the goals on the seventh contract in the league.
But Golden Knights has given up five goals in each of the last two matches, a 5-2 loss on Monday at Los Angeles Kings that saw Vegas allows four consecutive goals during the third period, and a 7-5 victory over Chicago on Thursday where Golden Knights struggled to keep up after building a 5-1 first period.
For a team trying to win their second Stanley Cup in three years, coach Bruce Cassidy recognized his team, who has recently struggled with defense in front of his own network, must be improved in that area on the way into the stretch drive.
“Well, we have to,” Cassidy said. “It’s the slot battles, probably the most important battles in hockey, at both ends. You have to check these areas. For me, that’s where you put the fires out at your own end.”
Defender Alex Pietrangelo agreed.
“Of course we give up five (goals), which is not where we want our game,” said Pietrangelo. “I think if you look at us over the years it is to be a good defensive team what makes us good. The goals will come out good defensive games.”
Cassidy pointed to Golden Knight’s first match this season against Devils, a 3-1 victory in Newark, NJ, February 6, as an example of how his team needs to play defensively. Golden Knights exceeded New Jersey 40-15, including 32-10 during the last two periods.
“It was one of our better games,” Cassidy said. “We did many things well that night. We stopped winning 3-1, and it wasn’t that close. Again, was not disrespectful to New Jersey, but we were on that night. I would expect them to be much better (Sunday). They were for some reason.”
The devils, bound for second place in the Metropolitan Division with Carolina with 72 points, made twice during the third period to defeat Utah Hockey Club 3-1 on Saturday in Salt Lake City and will play the second half of a back-to-back set.
Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Curtis Lazar did for the devils while goalkeeper Nico Daws stopped 24 out of 25 shots. New Jersey improved to 2-1 on a five-game that will end Tuesday at Dallas.
Meier did what turned out to be the game winner 14 seconds into the third period to break a 1-1 tie. It was his first goal in nine matches, and only his second goal in the last 21 games.
“If you get chances, you know it will eventually,” Meier said. “You just have to keep working. You will not score on every chance. You try to continue and not get frustrated.”
Hischier’s first period goal against Utah was his 400th career point. He became the sixth Switzerland-born player who reached 400 NHL points and joined Roman Josi, Nino Niederreites, Kevin Fiala, Mark Streit and Meier.
“It was a good effort,” Hischier said. “We played well from the start. We played really well throughout the range.”
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