Vegas Golden Knights’ Nick Holden (22) is stopped by Chicago Blackhawks’ goalie Corey Crawford (50) as Blackhawks’ Alexander Nylander (92) defends during first-period NHL Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff hockey action in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020 | 6:14 p.m.
The Golden Knights set a franchise record for shots in a regulation playoff game against the Blackhawks on Sunday.
Yet, they lost.
The Golden Knights fired 47 shots at Chicago goalie Corey Crawford but could only beat him once, and fell to the Blackhawks 3-1 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Vegas leads the series 3-1 and will have another chance to end it in Game 5 on Tuesday.
The Blackhawks scored 4:08 into the game, the first time the Golden Knights trailed in the series. It was a defensive breakdown that allowed Drake Caggiula to get an open look at goalie Robin Lehner and he didn’t miss. Chicago added another goal later in the first period, a Matthew Highmore shot from below the goal line that bounced off Lehner’s mask and into the goal.
Vegas answered the Highmore goal with one its own when Shea Theodore blasted the puck from the blue line to restore the one-goal deficit just 18 seconds after the Golden Knights went down by two.
That was it for Vegas, as Crawford was magnificent. He made 46 saves, dragging his team to victory in a game in which his team had 25 shots, including Alex DeBrincat’s empty-netter with 11 seconds remaining in the third.
Justin Emerson can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Justin on Twitter at twitter.com/@j15emerson.
