John Locher/AP
Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) scores against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas.
Published Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 | 10:08 p.m.
Updated Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 | 11:27 p.m.
For the second straight game, the Golden Knights faltered in the third period. More importantly, they faltered by giving up what Bruce Cassidy called “easy goals.”
The Golden Knights entered the third period tied 1-1, but it took 19 seconds for the Carolina Hurricanes to steal momentum and eventually leave Las Vegas with a 3-1 win at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
The third period opened with the Golden Knights on the power play for 1 minute, 50 seconds. Though they entered Saturday with the man advantage converting just 4 of 31 chances in the last 12 games, the Golden Knights had a chance to convert and take the lead.
Instead, Carolina forward Seth Jarvis capitalized off a turnover at the Vegas blue line and scored a 1-on-3 just 19 seconds into the frame to give the Hurricanes a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Jarvis’ shot trickled through the legs of goalie Adin Hill, a sequence that Cassidy said shouldn’t have happened.
“We don’t do a good job at the blue line trying to keep a puck alive, and it’s kind of a 1-on-3,” Cassidy said. “I don’t feel that puck should’ve ever gotten into the net.”
Six minutes later, Stefan Noesen scored at 6:19 when he appeared to knock a puck down with a high stick and scored on his own rebound. Cassidy chose not to challenge, and said that since the puck remained in play and didn’t cross the goal line, despite the stick being over the crossbar, it was going to count.
The six-minute span it took for Vegas to lose consecutive games wasn’t as shellshocking as giving up two goals in 1:01 of the third period in Monday’s 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild at home, but it counts all the same. Minnesota broke a 2-2 tie in the third with back-to-back goals midway through the third.
The Golden Knights came back from the All-Star break with two strong defensive performances against Edmonton and Arizona. They’ve followed that up with eight goals allowed in two games while scoring three in the last five periods of play.
“We got outplayed and gave up, what I thought, easy goals,” Cassidy said.
Jonathan Marchessault scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights (31-17-6) in their first game after having four days off. Hill, who made 25 saves in his second straight loss, stopped all 13 he faced in the first 20 minutes.
The Golden Knights controlled play in the first 20 minutes. They had no issues getting to the front of the net and creating dangerous chances, which Cassidy said is the way to beat Carolina.
But Andrei Svechnikov scored 1:21 into the second period to tie it 1-1 and the Hurricanes found their game from that point forward. Carolina’s stifling defense kept the Golden Knights to the outside and made work easy for goalie Spencer Martin. The 28-year-old goalie, in his 53rd career game, stopped 29 of 30 shots.
“That’s a really good team on the other side,” forward Ivan Barbashev said. “I still think we had a lot of chances. Just couldn’t finish.”
The turning point that stung most, in Cassidy’s mind, was the shorthanded goal from Jarvis.
Cassidy said the first power play, starting at 15:17 of the first, had some good looks around the net, but just didn’t execute. This one, less than 20 seconds into the third period, was another reminder of how much the power play has struggled.
Since Dec. 19, the last time Vegas played Carolina, the power play has gone 7 of 60 in 22 games (11.6%).
“That’s hockey games, right? Good teams, they take advantage of opportunities,” Cassidy said. “The power play could’ve helped us there, and obviously it didn’t. Once they got that, now they’re smelling blood a little bit and they did a good job the rest of the way keeping us at bay.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on X at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
