Shea Theodore's shot from the left circle with 32.5 seconds left gave Vegas a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, extending the Golden Knights' season-opening winning run to seven games.
Shea Theodore’s shot from the left circle with 32.5 seconds left gave Vegas a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, extending the Golden Knights’ season-opening winning run to seven games.
“I think I saw six bodies in front of the net,” stated Theodore. “I was just trying to get one in.” “I think I blocked 10 shots tonight.”
Shea Theodore
To overcome a 2-1 deficit, the Knights scored two goals in the closing 7:54.
The Knights also got goals from Ivan Barbashev and Paul Cotter, while Jack Eichel had two assists. Logan Thompson came up with 26 saves. Philadelphia’s Noah Cates and Cam Atkinson scored, while Carter Hart made 26 saves. The Knights’ 7-0 start is tied for seventh best in NHL history with seven other clubs. Vegas has the greatest start for a defending Stanley Cup winner, having scored at least three goals in every game.
At 6:54 of the first period, Jonathan Marchessault passed underneath the Flyers’ net to Eichel, who scored with a point-blank shot. Hart blocked the shot, but the rebound fell to Barbashev, who buried it.
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The Flyers took a 2-1 lead with two goals in the closing 6:53 of the period. After Cates scored off a rebound from teammate Joel Farabee, Atkinson scored from the left circle. Thompson couldn’t keep the puck from flying wide, so it sank behind him, and Atkinson grinned in surprise.
This is the first time the Knights have trailed after one period this season.
The Flyers’ lead lasted into the second period, despite high-quality shots from both sides, Philadelphia early in the game and the Knights later. It was the second time this season that Vegas was shut out in a row.
Vegas was not going to be shut out in the third period. Cotter received a feed from William Karlsson as he entered the zone. With 7:54 remaining, Cotter deked Philadelphia’s Egor Zamula in the right circle and scored to tie the game at 2-2. Cotter’s point streak now stands at four games, while Karlsson’s is at five.
Cotter delivered despite spending much of the second quarter on the bench as Cassidy attempted to give a spark.
Cotter’s goal set up Theodore’s game-winning goal, extending Cotter’s point run to five games.
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