3 Takeaways From Golden Knights’ 3-1 Game 1 Win Over Ducks – The Hockey Writers – Vegas Golden Knights

It took some last-minute heroics, but the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night, 3-1 in Game 1 of the second round in Vegas. Brett Howden, Ivan Barbashev, and Mitch Marner scored for the Golden Knights. Carter Hart made 33 saves on 34 shots.

Mikael Granlund scored the lone goal for the Ducks, while Lukas Dostal made 19 saves on 21 shots.

Game 2 is back at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night.

Late Goal Saves Vegas Once Again

In Round 1 against the Utah Mammoth, Vegas was trailing in the third period in five of the six games, and came back to win in three of them. If the Golden Knights are going to lift the Stanley Cup in June, they are going to have to eventually build a lead early in a hockey game, much like they did in Game 6. Monday night, however, was not that night, but some late-game playmaking bailed them out once again.

Vegas didn’t play a bad game by any means, but it felt like the Ducks were one step ahead for much of the night. Speed was an edge that the Ducks had against the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1, and it feels like that is going to be a challenge for the Golden Knights as well. Throughout the game, after Howden gave Vegas a 1-0 lead at 3:14 of the second period, the Golden Knights leaned on their penalty kill and a strong night from Hart to give them a chance to hold onto the lead.

After Granlund tied the game at 13:57 of the third, it took just 65 seconds for Barbashev to restore the Golden Knights’ lead, and Marner eventually sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with just six seconds left.

“It’s Game 1. It is (about) which team finds its game the quickest that has the advantage,” Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella said after the game. “We’re fortunate. Fortunate that we found a way to win. They played well. Some of it had to do with them. They played well, but we have some things to work on.

Mitch Marner Continues to Slay Playoff Demons

Fairly or unfairly, Marner built a reputation with the Toronto Maple Leafs for not being a playoff performer. That unfair part is that he actually had 63 points in 70 playoff games in Toronto. The fair part is that in big games late in a series, his production has faded considerably. Well, in Game 6 against Utah, he rose to the occasion with two goals and three points, and tacked on another two points on Monday night, albeit with one of them being an empty net goal.

Marner now has at least a point in all but one game this postseason, and continues to be one of the more noticeable players on the ice for the Golden Knights. On Monday, it was a perfect backdoor pass from the right circle to Howden that got the Golden Knights on the board.

“I was just looking at Mitch right away,” Howden said. “He made a great play. I was kind of behind the play, and I could feel that he knew I was coming late. I was going to get there a bit earlier, and he waited it out, and I just tried driving back away.”

In addition, the Golden Knights took penalties to start all three periods, and Marner was instrumental in shutting down a Ducks power play that was unstoppable against the Oilers.

“I don’t think anyone in that locker room is satisfied with that win,” Marner said. “We know we can play a lot better. I don’t think we got to our game at all. We gave them some good looks, and Carter made some massive saves.”

On the one hand, it’s easy to say the right thing when you’re winning, but Mitch is right, and it takes leadership to give an honest assessment of your team’s performance. The Ducks may have deserved a better fate, but it’s the leadership and experience of this group in Vegas that allowed them to stick with it and leave the third period with a win.

Carter Hart Silences Any Doubt in Game 1

Between the pipes, it’s been a season of adjusting and settling in for Hart, and the playoffs have been no different. In Round 1, Hart had a .898 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average, both of which are fine, but not great.

Goaltending has been a big topic of conversation in Vegas this season, and that didn’t stop when the playoffs started. Against Utah, there were moments when Hart played really well. There were also moments he seemed shaky and uncomfortable in the crease. Heading into this series, despite Dostal’s struggles over the last few months, the edge in net does go to Anaheim. On Monday, Hart stood tall despite his team being outshot 34-22.

On most nights, the Ducks have no problem scoring goals, and they take advantage of high-danger opportunities with ease. Staying out of the penalty box and limiting the Ducks’ chances will go a long way in taking some pressure off Hart as the series rolls on.

Up Next for the Golden Knights

Game 2 goes on Wednesday night in Vegas. The series shifts to California on Friday and Sunday before coming back to T-Mobile Arena next Tuesday if necessary.