3 takeaways from Knights’ loss: Ex-top prospect delivers OT winner
The Golden Knights once dreamed of Cody Glass scoring in important late-season games.
He made that a reality Tuesday. In a different uniform.
The Knights’ first-ever draft pick scored his first overtime goal to give the Nashville Predators a 3-2 win at Bridgestone Center. Glass, with his skates almost on the goal line in the offensive zone, tried to thread a backdoor pass to teammate Philip Tomasino on a late power play.
The puck instead bounced off his old teammate Brayden McNabb’s right skate, off the left post and into the net. Glass punched the air in celebration before he was mobbed by his teammates for keeping the Predators’ flickering playoff hopes alive.
The loss gave the Knights a split in their final back-to-back of the season after defeating Minnesota 4-3 in a shootout Monday.
“Sometimes when you try to be unselfish, good things happen,” Glass said. “A good thing happened.”
Glass was once viewed as the future of the Knights’ franchise after being picked sixth overall in 2017.
The team decided to move on after the 2020-21 season, when the 24-year-old had 10 points in 27 games and only made one appearance in the playoffs. Glass was dealt in a three-team trade July 17, 2021, which brought 2017 second overall pick Nolan Patrick to the Knights.
Glass didn’t make much of an impact in his first year in Nashville. He had one assist in eight NHL games, spending most of his time with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals.
This season he’s become a regular, with 33 points in 67 games. Glass was the Predators’ first-line center Tuesday with veteran forwards Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen out injured.
Nashville, with a primary assist from Glass, took a 2-0 lead with 6:52 remaining in the first period thanks to two goals from center Tommy Novak.
The deficit could have been worse. The Knights, after being stymied on a five-on-three power play that lasted 1:46, appeared to allow a third goal with three minutes left in the first. A video review confirmed defenseman Tyson Barrie kicked the puck in and kept Nashville’s lead at 2-0.
The Knights came charging back after that.
They dominated the second period, tying the game behind two goals from defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. The Knights got a late opportunity to win as well when goaltender Kevin Lankinen gave them a power play with 4:30 left in regulation.
They didn’t score, sending them to overtime for the second straight game and the fourth time in their last six contests. The Predators got a late power play of their own when right wing Jonathan Marchessault was called for holding Tomasino with 2:07 remaining in OT.
Glass took it from there. He scored 37 seconds later, moving the Predators within three points of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with five games remaining.
The Knights, despite the loss, extended their point streak to four games in search of their third division title in six years.
“They were more urgent than us early on,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We found our game in the second, started competing harder and were really good, but again, you’ve got pockets of good, pockets of not good enough.”
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
1. Power play falters
The Knights fired nine shots during their three power-play opportunities Tuesday. None of them found the back of the net.
The man advantage continues to be a concern for the team. They Knights are 2-for-21 in their last eight games. The Predators scored two power-play goals Tuesday alone.
“At the end of the day, their special teams outplayed ours,” Cassidy said. “Ended up deciding the game.”
2. Pietrangelo produces
Pietrangelo scored twice in a game for the first time as a Knight, and for the eighth time in his career. He also had a team-high nine shots. He’s only had more once in his 948-game NHL career.
”They were collapsing, playing lower than a lot of teams,” Pietrangelo said. “Thought process was if we can get it to the D, we can get shots through.”
The goals gave Pietrangelo 52 points this season, moving him into a tie with Shea Theodore for the team record for a defenseman. Pietrangelo is also two points off his career high.
3. Lineup changes
Center Chandler Stephenson played for the Knights after missing Monday’s game with an illness.
“It’s always tough when you’re out and you’re watching the guys play,” Stephenson said. “Nice to get one back and feeling a little bit better.”
Left wing Michael Amadio was a healthy scratch as a result. Cassidy kept left wing Pavel Dorofeyev in the lineup after the rookie got two goals and scored in a shootout Monday.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
