Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP
Vegas Golden Knights’ Zach Whitecloud (2) and Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (9) rough it up during the first period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey second-round playoff series, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020 | 6:38 a.m.
The Golden Knights claimed a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series against the Vancouver Canucks last night, and it’s already time for Game 4, tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Back-to-back games are rare in the postseason in normal years, but the condensed schedule of this year’s format means there will be quite a few. Vegas already had one set in the first round against Chicago, winning the first night and dropping the nightcap.
Here are three keys to victory in Game 4 against the Vancouver Canucks, sponsored by Credit One Bank.
Stay off the penalty kill
The Canucks’ best looks in Game 3 came with the man advantage. Of their 32 shots on goal, 10 came on the power play, including nine in the first period. Vancouver didn’t score in Game 3, but it still has one of the best power-play units in the league. The Canucks converted in Game 2 on the power play, and won the game. When Vegas’ penalty kill has kept the Canucks quiet, that’s when the Golden Knights have been winning games.
Give Tuch the puck
Alex Tuch has a postseason-best four-game goal streak, and his seven goals are one off the NHL lead since the season restart. All playoffs he’s been clicking well with Nick Cousins and Nicolas Roy, the latter of whom has sprung Tuch for partial breakaways in back-to-back games. Tuch is playing with a lot of confidence after struggling in the regular season, and it seems like the best offensive strategy for Vegas is to pass him the puck and let him fly.
Stay strong in the defensive zone
The biggest difference between the Game 2 loss and the Game 3 win was how the Vegas defense played. The Canucks capitalized on breakdowns in the defensive zone in their one victory this series, and the Golden Knights did a good job of tightening that up in their Game 3 win. Vegas has an advantage in many areas of the game over Vancouver, and one of them is on the back end. As long as that stays strong, the Golden Knights are in good shape the rest of the series.
