Knights say they left Subban ‘out to dry’ in Flames blowout loss
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said before Monday night’s game that he hoped backup goaltender Malcolm Subban could begin to build confidence with the start he was getting against the Flames on the second night of a back-to-back.
Instead, Subban’s teammates “left him out to dry” repeatedly in a frustrating 7-2 shellacking.
Gallant hadn’t yet spoken to the 24-year-old former first-round pick when he addressed the media as he typically leaves goaltender coach Dave Prior in charge of the netminders.
The players told a different story.
Nick Holden said several teammates spoke to Subban after the Flames moved freely and passed to teammates for wide-open shots on numerous occasions.
“After the game, a few of the older guys went up to him and just said, ‘You know what? That’s on us, not you,’” Holden said. “Like I said, he made five or six unbelievable saves that could have been goals. We just left him out to dry.”
Forward Reilly Smith echoed the sentiment.
“If it wasn’t for some of the saves he made, it would have been 14-0 (after two periods),” he said.
It’s difficult to find fault with Subban on at least five of the seven goals, perhaps even six. Still, they all count against him and he now has an .859 save percentage and a 4.02 goals-against average in four starts and one relief appearance this season.
He’s also 0-4 as a starter.
Subban was a big factor in the Knights success last season when he went 13-4-2 and recorded much better numbers in save percentage (.910) and GAA (2.68).
His services will be needed in the coming weeks. Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start Wednesday at Arizona, but the Knights play three games in the next four days, including another back-to-back at home Friday (Calgary) and Saturday (San Jose).
They have typically avoided starting Fleury on the second night of back-to-backs. That means Subban can expect additional playing time with the Knights having four more sets of consecutive games scheduled in December.
Look at future
The Knights’ AHL affiliate in Chicago will appear Sunday on NHL Network.
It’s the second of four appearances for the Wolves on the channel this season. They play the Rockford IceHogs, who eliminated them from the Calder Cup Playoffs last season.
The Jan. 20 and Feb. 17 games will also appear on the network.
Fifteen AHL games will air this season as part of a deal between the league and the NHL Network.
The package also includes the AHL All-Star Challenge and All-Star Competition on Jan. 27 and 28.
Celebration time
The Knights announced on Tuesday that the team would host the 2019 Knight to Remember Gala at World Market Center Pavilions on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for the semiformal event start at $500 and attendees must be 21 or older. Proceeds will benefit the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation.
The event includes silent and live auctions featuring hockey experiences, travel packages and other items. Players, coaching staff and front office staff are expected to be in attendance with all players being paired with a chef to prepare food for guests.
More Golden Knights: Follow all of our Golden Knights coverage online at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.