Knights' balance the difference in Game 1 win

LAS VEGAS — It may have appeared to be easy for the Vegas Golden Knights to take Game 1 Sunday. But the 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild was anything but a stroll in Toshiba Plaza.

If anything, we should be aware that this is going to be a tightly contested series and even though one team is seeded second and the other seventh, don’t be misconstrued by any of that. Had Matt Boldy not taken a late tripping penalty with 1:01 to play, we might still be playing in T-Mobile Arena.

Instead, the Knights lead the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round series 2-0 with Game 2 scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday.

“I was pleased with the way it went for the most part,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said as the franchise improved to 6-1 in Game 1s of the start of the playoffs. “We want to play with pace. But you’re not always going to be able to do that. Minnesota is a team that doesn’t give you a lot of odd-man rushes. So you have to adjust.

“I was pleased with our defensive play and our game. If it opens up  we’re fine with that."

This was not a game for the faint of heart. Big hits were delivered everywhere. Along the boards. In open ice. In front of the net. Even the officials weren’t immune as linesman Bryan Pancich got leveled by Brett Howden inadvertently early in the second period and was helped off the ice. The Wild was credited with 54 hits, the Knights with 29.

Space was at a premium, which is what you expect in playoff hockey. Both teams were hell bent on not letting anyone get free. But the Knights had two breakaways in the second period, one by Brandon Saad, the other from Jack Eichel. Neither was able to  capitalize on their good fortune.

But the Knights got contributions from their fourth line with Howden scoring what proved to be the game-winner in the third period as he took Nic Roy’s pass and beat Filip Gustavsson for what was a 3-1 lead. Howden added an empty net goal with under a second remaining.

“Good for Howie. He’s had a good year,” Cassidy said.
 
It was also a strong night for Vegas’ second line. Tomas Hertl opened the scoring with a snipe after stealing the puck from Brock Faber and beating Gustavsson over his left shoulder with 4:38 left in the first period. Linemate Pavel Dorofeyev, whop was the team’s top goal scorer during the regular season with 35, notched his first playoff goal in the second period as Shea Theodore faked a shot from the point while the Knights were on the power plays and made a perfect pass to Dorofeyev, who beat Gustavsson easily for what was a 2-1 lead.

Their line, with Saad as the other member, had a strong game at both ends of the ice and Saad said when they’re clicking the way they were Sunday, the Knights become that much more dangerous.

“Tomas is a 200-foot player so it’s no surprise when he’s making plays in the defensive end,” said Saad, who was back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022. “I thought the whole line had a strong game and it’s great to see Pav get that first one. It takes a lot of pressure off him.”

The Wild, which had its top line operational with Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek, gave the Knights trouble, enough that Cassidy admitted afterward they’ll need to be a little more attentive when that line is on the ice.

“They hurt us,” Cassidy said as Boldy scored both Minnesota goals with assists from Kaprizov in Game 1. “But we knew going in what they’re capable of.”

If you’re Minnesota coach John Hynes, you’d like to see a little more attention to detail in Game 2.

“Both teams play disciplined when they don’t have the puck and there’s a commitment to check the right way,” he said. “When you play against that style of team, unless there’s a major breakdown, it’s hard to get any easy ice. We knew coming into the series that’s how it would play out.”

The Knights may very well take this series but the Wild showed Sunday it will not be an easy out. Still, Vegas won with its top line of Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev being kept off the scoresheet. And that balance of rolling out four lines by Cassidy all year may be the difference between winning and moving on or losing in the first round for the second straight year.

“That’s the beauty of our team,” Cassidy said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be Jack or Karly (William Karlsson’s) line carrying us.”