Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez (23) plays against the Arizona Coyotes in an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Published Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 | 10 a.m.
Updated 49 minutes ago
If the first period was any indication of how the rest of Sunday’s game between the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings is set to go, viewers are in for a treat.
Vegas and Los Angeles combined for five goals, with the Golden Knights netting three of them and taking a 3-2 lead into the first intermission at T-Mobile Arena.
Just like the Golden Knights scored early in their first meeting on Friday, the Kings got things going on Sunday. Anze Kopitar, having a renaissance season for Los Angeles, walked down the right wing and sniped the puck far-side under Robin Lehner’s blocker. That gave Los Angeles the lead 36 seconds.
It kicked off an entertaining period of hockey. The Golden Knights and Kings traded goals after that, with Reilly Smith netting one for Vegas, then Adrian Kempe for the Kings, giving them two goals on their first two shots.
Just 26 seconds after Kempe’s goal, Zach Whitecloud collected a Cody Glass pass and whipped it into the net for what is technically his first career goal. He did score during the postseason, but those stats don’t count toward career totals.
Tied 2-2, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the game at 11:37 courtesy of Chandler Stephenson’s first of the season. Mark Stone made a ridiculous pass in the neutral zone to spring Stephenson, who rushed into the zone and beat the goalie for a 3-2 Vegas lead.
That capped the scoring one of the more wild periods of the season. Lehner settled in after the first two shots to save the next 10, and Vegas led in shots on goal 14-12 for the period.
Nick Holden happy to be back with Golden Knights
Lost in the hubbub surrounding Dylan Coghlan’s NHL debut on Friday for the Golden Knights was that Nick Holden made his first appearance of the season.
The veteran defenseman, who signed a two-year contract extension less than a year ago, was waived at the beginning of the year and spent the first seven games on the taxi squad. He returned on Friday, and is expected to remain in the lineup when Vegas takes on the Los Angeles Kings at noon at T-Mobile Arena.
“Obviously, any chance you get to play in this league is exciting,” Holden said. “To be off since last year, finally get in and help our team win was exciting for me to be able to get in.”
Holden is a solid defensive option on the back end and a major contributor on the penalty kill. But one of his most valuable attribute may be in the mentorship role he’s taken on with the younger defensemen. Zach Whitecloud was effusive in his praise of Holden and how the veteran helped him as a partner during last year’s postseason run, and Coghlan was quick to thank Holden after they were paired together Friday.
Holden of course is still battling several of those younger players for roster spots. It creates an interesting dynamic where Holden wants to play, but is also helping his competition get better when he’s not.
“I think it’s just trying to support them in talking with them,” Holden said. “I don’t want to say over-compliment them, but when they do stuff well, make sure you tell them ‘Nice play’ or whatever, stuff like that.”
It’s part of the culture of the team that relatively newer players say predated them. Forward Max Pacioretty, who came to Vegas after the first season, said everyone who was there from the inaugural year took on the collective belief that their old teams didn’t want them and egos vanished in the Golden Misfits mentality.
Egos were eliminated, Pacioretty said, which is helping young players assimilate and older players make them feel welcome.
“There’s no reason why those guys shouldn’t feel like they play a big role on this team,” he said. “Hopefully they have the confidence to do so. In whatever ways the older guys can help do that, it’s important for our team.”
Pacioretty will look to carry a hot hand into Sunday’s game. He recorded three assists on Friday after a hat trick in the previous game, becoming the third NHL player in the last five years to follow up three goals with three assists.
His linemate Mark Stone has been terrific as well, leading the team with 13 points this season. He had a goal and an assist on Friday and has at least one point in all but one game, and multiple points in five of the eight games.
TV: AT&T SportsNet (DirecTV 684, Cox 1313, CenturyLink 1760)
Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM
Betting line: Golden Knights minus-250, Kings plus-220; over/under: 5.5 (minus-120, EVEN)
Golden Knights (6-1-1, 13 points; t-3rd place, West Division)
Coach: Peter DeBoer (second season)
Points leader: Mark Stone (13)
Goals leader: Max Pacioretty (6)
Assists leader: Mark Stone (10)
Expected goalie: Robin Lehner (2.95 GAA, .885 save percentage)
Kings (3-5-2, 8 points; 8th place, West Division)
Coach: Todd McLellan (second season)
Points leaders: Anze Kopitar (13)
Goals leader: Dustin Brown (4)
Assists leader: Anze Kopitar (12)
Expected goalie: Jonathan Quick (4.05 GAA, .867 save percentage)
Golden Knights projected lineup
Forwards
Max Pacioretty—Chandler Stephenson—Mark Stone
Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith
Nicolas Roy—Cody Glass—Alex Tuch
William Carrier—Tomas Nosek—Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
Alec Martinez—Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague—Zach Whitecloud
Nick Holden—Dylan Coghlan
Goalies
Robin Lehner, Marc-André Fleury
