The Golden Knights made Sunday’s game feel like two different nights.
First came the mess. Then came the push.
Vegas fell behind 4-0 and eventually lost 4-3 to the Oilers at Rogers Place in Edmonton., extending its losing streak to three games. The skid started Dec. 17 with a 2-1 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils. It continued Saturday with a 6-3 loss at the Calgary Flames.
A hole, again
Connor McDavid opened the scoring at 9:11 of the first period at even strength. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins followed with a power-play goal at 14:37, and Vegas went to intermission down 2-0 while managing seven shots.
Edmonton poured on early in the second. Nugent-Hopkins scored again on the power play at 2:22, then Zach Hyman made it 4-0 at 7:45.
Coach Bruce Cassidy did not blame the schedule, even on the second night of a back-to-back.
“They should be much more fatigued than we were,” Cassidy said. “So, that’s not an excuse.”
Cassidy said Vegas failed to match Edmonton’s pace and detail early.
“What I saw was we didn’t execute or play with the same pace or compete that they did,” Cassidy said.
Power play flips the script
Vegas scratched center Jack Eichel, defenseman Shea Theodore and winger Alexander Holtz. Even without them, the Knights found offense once they simplified and leaned on their top group.
Tomas Hertl got Vegas on the board at 12:59 of the second period with a power-play goal. Mitch Marner and Noah Hanifin assisted, and the Knights finally had a pulse.
The comeback gained real traction early in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal at 3:52, finishing a rebound to cut it to 4-2. Hertl and Hanifin earned the assists.
Vegas kept coming. Marner scored at 5:49 at even strength to make it 4-3, again off helpers from Hertl and Hanifin.
One goal short
Hertl finished with a goal and two assists. Hanifin posted three assists. Marner added a goal and an assist, and those three drove the entire rally.
The Knights outshot Edmonton 29-21 and owned the third period 12-3. They also went 2-for-5 on the power play after Edmonton struck twice on three chances.
Still, the first half of the game kept costing Vegas. Cassidy pointed to offensive-zone decisions that turned into odd-man rushes when McDavid was on the ice.
Vegas had a late look with the goalie pulled, but Cassidy wanted more urgency at the net.
“It’s unfortunately we didn’t direct any pucks at the net with a goalie out,” Cassidy said.
Carter Hart took the loss after allowing four goals on 21 shots. Connor Ingram earned the win after stopping 26 of 29.
Vegas showed its usual third-period bite. Now it needs that edge at puck drop.
Up next for the Golden Knights
Vegas (16-8-10) continues its December slate Tuesday, Dec. 23, hosting the San Jose Sharks (17-16-3) at 7 p.m. PT.
Then the Golden Knights stay home to face the Colorado Avalanche (26-2-7) on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. PT.
They wrap the stretch Monday, Dec. 29, hosting the Minnesota Wild (22-10-5) at 7 p.m. PT.
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