LAS VEGAS — Road trips can be daunting for NHL teams in their first game back on home ice. Add in the fact the only day to recover happens to be Thanksgiving, and then having to face the No. 1 team in the league – Black Friday can turn dark real quick.
Fortunately for the Vegas Golden Knights, they brightened the spirits of an energetic announced attendance of 18,044 at T-Mobile Arena.
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev each scored two goals and Adin Hill made 22 stops as the Golden Knights defeated the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets, 4-3.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
SPEEDY BRETT – While his second goal sent the Golden Knights to the winner’s circle, it was Howden’s burst of speed that set the tone for the back-and-forth affair. After snatching Morgan Barron’s pass in Winnipeg’s zone, Howden raced up ice with the puck, flying past Logan Stanley and then beat Jets goaltender Eric Comrie to tie the game at 1-all.
“He was flying out there, but that’s what he usually does,” teammate Ivan Barbashev said. “He’s a fast player, and it’s nice for him to score another one. He’s been scoring a lot of goals, and he’s been a big part for our team.”
VISIONARY BILL – William Karlsson, playing in his 700th career game, could have passed the puck when he took Shea Theodore’s stretch pass from Winnipeg’s offensive end into the neutral zone. He had Alexander Holtz on his right, but he also knew Howden was using his speed – again – to get into position. Instead, it was Karlsson’s patience in allowing the play to develop, as Holtz went down the right-hand side of the slot and took a couple of Jets with him, while Howden went down the left-hand side. After skating across the ice and into the right circle, Karlsson tactfully sent a no-look, backhand pass through the slot for Howden, who finished the play with a pretty one-timer that gave Vegas its one-goal edge and ultimately provided the final margin.
“Doesn’t always have to be a pretty tic-tac-toe, in that case (it) ends up being a real nice goal,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said.
TOP LINE CHEMISTRY – Barbashev continues to look exceptional alongside Jack Eichel, who assisted on both of the former’s goals. The two have a combined 63 points, with Eichel’s 36 points tied for second in the NHL and his 28 assists alone in second. Barbashev is tied for 17th in the league with 27 points, while his 12 goals are tied for 13th.
“We’re hard to match up against,” Cassidy said. “I think there’s no rest for the D pairs, let’s put it that way. Everyone has three D pairs, and they’re all going to be challenged. And if they’re not up to it, they’ll get exposed. … That’s the way it’s been around here for a while, we’ve used different people. Jack, he’s having a heck of a season offensively, and he’s bringing it every night.”
