Intense Game Three Review: Golden Knights-Utah Hockey Club

The Golden Knights faced off against the rebuilt Utah Hockey Club at the fortress on Friday, September 27, 2024. The exhibition match started at 10 p.m. EST and did not fail to impress. The game's pace was at full speed from period one to period three in game three of the 2024-2025 NHL Preseason.

Photo byKlim MusalimovonUnsplash

First Period

Period one kicked off with a sense of urgency as both teams were swift on their skates. Adin Hill entered the crease as the presiding goaltender for the exhibition match. Other Knight veterans such as Jack Eichel, Ben Hutton, Alex Pietrangelo, and Shea Theodore joined the ice. The Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club traded offensive possession throughout the period until the Utah Hockey Club gave the VGK two power plays. Unfortunately, highlighting another potential area of improvement for the VGK, they failed to profit from the man advantages.

Bruce Cassidy continued to make line adjustments in game three with the offensive and defensive lines. Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo are the new favored blue-line power couple. Victor Olofsson, Ivan Barbashev, and Eichel worked as linemates and created a few momentous chances for the VGK to get on the board. Cassidy continued to make line changes for the offensive power play lines, placing Eichel, Mark Stone, and Ivan Barbashev on the ice. The first period of game three ended with shots on goal in favor of the VGK (6) compared to the Utah Hockey Club (3), but a scoreless conclusion nevertheless.

Second Period

[caption id="attachment_126665" align="alignnone" width="300"]Sep 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Utah Hockey Club forward Kevin Stenlund (82) during the third period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images[/caption]

The VGK started the second period off with impeccable defense. The VGK blue lines collapsed on the puck and successfully broke up offensive plays from the Utah Hockey Club throughout the period. Ivan Barbashev started the second-period penalties with a hooking call, sending the Utah Hockey Club to the power play. The Golden Knights' work on the power play kill throughout training camp shined during the man advantage for Utah. Only for Alex Pietrangelo to collide with goaltender Adin Hill, temporarily taking Hill out of commission from the play, and allowing Utah to score with a second left in the power play.

The Golden Knights performed well on offense and defense. During the early second period, the offensive line struggled to nurture offensive plays into maturity, offering quick turnovers for Utah. The penalties only increased from then on. A holding penalty on Utah sent the VGK to the power play, allowing star Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to send one down the slot making the score 1-1. The Utah Hockey Club quickly responded to the VGK goal, gaining a lead on Vegas once again.

After Shea Theodore spent time in the box for interference, Utah also caught a penalty sending the Knights to another power play. Eichel was the Knight who answered the call, sending a five-hole shot (the space between the goaltender's legs) to the back of the net, evening the score once again. To end the period, the Knights survived a four-on-three power play, shutting down Utah's advances with multiple clears.

Final Period

The final period for both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Utah Hockey Club started with each team exchanging shots on goal. Vegas kept significant pressure on Utah, allowing space for more scoring chances for the Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev took the opportunity and sent a puck into the net giving Vegas the lead. As soon as the excitement for Dorofeyev's goal ended, Keegan Kolesar raised fans out of their seats once again scoring a goal off the rush with Tanner Pearson on the assist. Mason Morelli showed impressive hockey sense with his pressured stickhandling and solo chance off the rush.

The penalties were not absent during the final period as Utah and Morelli pulled penalties during a scuffle. With both power plays killed, Zach Whitecloud and a Utah player later added more penalties. Whitecloud was sent to the box with a questionable double minor for roughing. The Fortress fans expressed a booming disagreement with the official's call. The double minor barely phased the Golden Knights as Ivan Barbashev increased the Knights' lead 5-2 with three minutes and twenty seconds left on the game clock in game three.

Game Three Review

A truly impeccable performance in game three by both NHL clubs. The Knights demonstrated their skill and dominance in the Western Conference against the Utah Hockey Club. The majority of the Vegas bench played well. After the game, many found it hard to choose one impactful player. With each goal being earned by a different player and assists from numerous more, the consensus overall is the Golden Knights only continue to improve. As game two showed, the Knights only progressed throughout the game.

From the earlier periods into the final, the Golden Knights made intelligent passes, stick-handled under pressure, better maintained offensive possession, put more pucks on the net, and appeared nearly prepared for the upcoming season. With a few more final adjustments, the Vegas Golden Knights are bound to return to another season of the NHL, ready to prove the critics wrong. The Golden Knights can continue to be the team that has made the playoffs six out of seven years as a franchise.

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Article originally written by ChanceLee Holiday