3 takeaways from Knights’ win: Complete effort, late goal beat Kraken
The Golden Knights have recently played well defensively in spurts. It’s been awhile since they had a 60-minute effort.
It took some late heroics, but Thursday was the complete game they’ve been looking for.
Right wing Keegan Kolesar broke a tie with 1:20 remaining, and goalie Logan Thompson made 21 saves to help the Knights earn a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena.
Kolesar finished a rebound from the right side of the net after left wing Brett Howden made a power move off the rush. The goal was challenged by Seattle for offsides.
Despite a close call — with center Nic Roy crossing the blue line as Howden’s skate stayed onside — the Knights got the winning goal for their fourth victory in last six games.
“I said it last game: You never know what play or what part of the game,” Kolesar said. “Less than two minutes left, we were able to capitalize.”
Center Jack Eichel scored for the 499th point of his NHL career to push the Knights (37-25-7) to a 2-1-0 mark during this four-game homestand. Center Chandler Stephenson scored an empty-netter with 12 seconds left for the final goal.
But the Knights wouldn’t have gotten there without a strong defensive game, and a strong game from their goaltender.
Thompson followed his 20-save win Sunday against the New Jersey Devils by holding a shutout for nearly 54 minutes. Kraken left wing Jaden Schwartz tied it 1-1 on the power play with 6:31 left in regulation.
The last month has been a time of uncertainty in the Knights’ crease. Thompson and Adin Hill have had their struggles, but not all of the blame can be put on them.
Defensive lapses have been a contributing factor to the Knights allowing close to four goals a night. Before Sunday, Thompson allowed 18 goals in his previous five starts.
The Knights helped him in a big way with 23 blocked shots and by keeping the Kraken (28-28-12) to two high-danger chances at five-on-five.
Thompson settled in and has put together his best stretch since Jan. 15-20 when he allowed four goals in three starts.
Eichel said the focus was taking away the Kraken’s transition game because of how good they are off the rush. Taking away Seattle’s speed through the neutral zone and limiting second chances were key.
Limiting the extra opportunities allowed the Knights to get to their game. They broke out of the defensive zone quicker and played clean through the neutral zone.
“I don’t remember a lot of breakdowns that led to another breakdown, or we started cheating or taking shortcuts,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s what I see with our team. We’re doing a lot more of the detailed work better. It shows in our goals against, shots against and chances against.”
Even after Schwartz’s goal, the Knights continued to put pressure on Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer. The Knights couldn’t find an answer early for the former Vezina Trophy finalist, who made 34 saves in the losing effort.
They found that answer at the right time.
The win pushed the Knights’ lead in the wild-card race back to four points over the St. Louis Blues. The Knights have a game in hand on the Blues and Minnesota Wild, who are now five points back.
“We’re getting down to crunch time. We’re almost single digits left in games,” Kolesar said. “For us, we have to bring our consistent effort, our max effort every game.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. Marchessault hits 60
With the primary assist on Eichel’s goal, right wing Jonathan Marchessault eclipsed the 60-point total for the third time in his career.
Marchessault carried the puck behind the net and found Eichel in front on the right side, and he jammed it past Grubauer at 8:14 of the first period.
Marchessault, the Knights’ top goal scorer with 38, recorded his first assist in eight games. While his season, and his career, has been fixated on putting the puck in the back of the net, he’s occasionally picked his spots to be a playmaker.
Marchessault is still on the hunt for the first 40-goal season of his career, but it’s the first time since 2021-22 that he’s reached the 60-point mark. His 75 points from the Knights’ inaugural season in 2017-18 remain his career best.
2. Power-play problems persist
The man advantage continues to be an area of concern for the Knights.
After going 0-for-4 on the power play Thursday, the Knights are now 6-for-49 (12.2 percent) since the All-Star break.
Cassidy said the problems stem from the mental side, with players trying to do too much with the puck, whether it be trying to make an extra pass or a play when it’s not there.
The first two power plays were a reflection of that. The last two showed some life with three shots on goal and more looks from both faceoff circles.
3. Lineup change pays off
Even with moving left wing William Carrier up to the second line, the fourth line was effective once again.
Roy, the Knights’ usual fourth-line center, moved back to that spot and skated with Howden and Kolesar.
Roy’s move pushed Stephenson back to center after he played left wing the past two games.
Howden is a plus-four in his last four games and has points in back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 17-19.
Roy picked up an assist for his first point in six games, while Kolesar has three points in two games.
No matter who is on that line, Kolesar said, the mindset stays the same.
“Just getting in on the forecheck, playing to our identity,” Kolesar said. “Sometimes you get the bounces, sometimes you don’t.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.