ONTARIO, Calif.—With the preseason officially underway, the attention surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights largely shifted towards Trevor Connelly.
The hype was not undeserved, as Connelly has been featured on a line with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson in the early stages of training camp. It suggests that, at least for the time being, the 2024 first round pick has a real opportunity to begin the year in the NHL. While Connelly has earned the trust of new Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig from their time together with the Henderson Silver Knights, a strong effort in the preseason would still be necessary for the 20-year-old to break into the opening night lineup.
While Connelly did well in spurts, it would be other players soaking up the limelight in the Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
One of the players who made a positive impact was defenseman Viliam Kmec, who signed with the Golden Knights as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Late in the first period, Kmec would get a lane and took a heavy shot from just above the right faceoff circle, while also finessing it opposite corner over Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg’s blocker.
It marked the second straight postseason where Kmec opened the scoring for the Golden Knights, and it highlighted what was a strong game from him.
A poor line change from the Kings would open things up for the Golden Knights once again, and the ensuing 3-on-0 opportunity was finished off by Raphael Lavoie to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead, despite only having one shot on goal before getting on the board.
The Kings would get themselves on the board early in the second period on an Andre Lee goal on the weak side, creating the only offense of a middle frame that was fraught with penalties on both sides.
In the third period, the Kings would be the ones taking advantage of a defensive lapse from the Golden Knights. Cole Guttman was able to get behind Antti Tuomisto to get a shot on Adin Hill, and the save would end up with the veteran netminder sliding out of the crease. Seeing an opportunity, Lane Pedersen got directly to the net to tuck in the loose change and tie the game at two.
With momentum getting away from them, Vegas needed another heroic effort to get the lead back. They would get exactly that in the form of Jackson Hallum.
Another Silver Knight in the lineup, Hallum showcased his breathtaking speed to put up 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 69 games with Henderson last season. There is a Chandler Stephenson comparison to make with a player of Hallum’s skillset, and an opportunity at a NHL call up is there if he can find ways to finish more plays.
Saturday proved to be an excellent demonstration of what Hallum can offer, as he used his speed to break into the offensive zone and beat Forsberg with a nifty move in front of the net to give the Golden Knights back the lead. He would then provide the empty net goal to effectively seal the victory for the road team.
While Connelly himself did not record a point in the game, he was noticeable defensively and even forced a tripping penalty with his effort getting to pucks. It was a gritty effort from a player already sporting a war wound from rookie camp after a cheap shot in an exhibition against the Utah Mammoth, and one that will at least give him a continued look.
Other players who made themselves noticeable for the Golden Knights were Marc Gatcomb, who recorded two assists and was physical throughout the game, and Jakub Demek, who got more ice time after Kai Uchacz exited the game early and produced a strong third period.
Hill recorded 17 saves in his first start since April 9, and Craig’s plan is to rotate him and Carter Hart so both goalies get two games each in the preseason.
The Golden Knights stay in the Golden State for another game, taking on the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday before hosting the final two games at T-Mobile Arena.